The Effect of Electroacupuncture versus Manual Acupuncture through the Expression of TrkB/NF-κB in the Subgranular Zone of the Dentate Gyrus of Telomerase-Deficient Mice

Figure 3

Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis of TrkB/NF-κB in hippocampus of the WT and Terc^−/− mice ( per subgroup). The brain samples were sliced sagittally into 5 μm sections, and the representative photographs and the mean optical density of positive cell values are, respectively, shown in a and d; b and e. Data were expressed as mean ± SEM, and the data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Turkey’s test of multiple comparisons. (a and d) The mice brain slices were hematoxylin-stained in the same region of the hippocampus among the three subgroups. The TrkB/NF-κB positively stained cells appear brown (red arrow) in the subgranular zone (SGZ) around the dentate gyrus area (DG), and the scale bar = 100 μm. (b) Compared with CON subgroup, the mean optical density of positive TrkB protein in EA subgroup was significantly increased in Terc^−/− mice , and there was no difference among the three subgroups for WT mice. Although there was obviously more NF-κB positively strained cell observed in the picture, (e) no significantly differences were observed in NF-κB immunoreactivity in any subgroups in both strains. (c and f) Expression of TrkB/NF-κB in WT and Terc^−/− mice ( = 8 per subgroup) was detected by western blotting assay. Data are represented as the ratio of TrkB (NF-κB)/β-actin. The bar graphs represent the levels of TrkB/NF-κB in hippocampus in both strains. In the Terc^−/− mice, both electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture significantly increased the expression of TrkB/NF-κB (; ), and nothing changed in WT mice.

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