Transneuronal Degeneration of Thalamic Nuclei following Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Rats

Figure 4

Luxol fast blue and cresyl echt violet staining at 1 and 14 days after MCAo. (a, b) Day 1 after MCAo. (c, d) Day 14 after MCAo. (a, c) Images of the brain indicating areas supplied by the MCA. The red box designates the putamen on the damaged side, and the yellow box designates the putamen on the control side. (b, d) Images of brain areas not supplied by the MCA. The red box designates the thalamic nuclei on the damaged side, and the yellow box designates the thalamic nuclei on the control side. The amount of myelin (blue dots) in the putamen on the damaged side exhibited a decrease in day 1 and day 14 groups. No difference was observed in the amount of thalamic myelin between the affected and control sides in day 1 group. In the 14-day group, the amount of myelin in the thalamus was remarkably reduced on the damaged side compared to the control side, indicating the occurrence of transneuronal degeneration. MCAo: middle cerebral artery occlusion.

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