Third-Degree Hindpaw Burn Injury Induced Apoptosis of Lumbar Spinal Cord Ventral Horn Motor Neurons and Sciatic Nerve and Muscle Atrophy in Rats

Figure 2

Double immunofluorescence staining of caspase-3, caspase-9, TUNEL assay, and a neuronal cell marker, NeuN, in the spinal cord ventral horns of rats from different groups. Tissue samples were detected using antibodies against NeuN, caspase-3, caspase-9, and TUNEL staining for apoptosis. The merge images depict apoptosis of the motor neurons in the spinal cord ventral horns of the rats. The arrowheads indicate double-positive neurons. The bar chart depicts the number of positive cells (caspase-9, caspase-3, and TUNEL) and the proportion of double labeling cells (caspase-9/NeuN, caspase-3/NeuN, and TUNEL/NeuN), showing that the apoptotic events were triggered by the third-degree burn injuries in the hindpaw skin. Histogram represents mean ± SEM (, ; scale bar = 200 μm).