Demyelination and axonal loss in DM- and NDM-infected mouse spinal cord. Serial cross-sections (5 m thick) from DM- and NDM-infected mouse spinal cord at day 7 p.i. were stained for myelin with LFB (a, e) or by Bielchowsky silver impregnation (b, f) or toluidine blue to delineate preservation of myelin, axons, and axon-myelin coherence following DM and NDM infection. (a) A large demyelinating plaque observed in DM-infected mouse spinal cord is shown (arrow indicates demyelinated area). (b) In an adjacent section, the same demyelinating plaque of DM-infected spinal cord showed loss of axons (arrow indicates area of axonal loss). (e) Normal myelin was observed in NDM-infected mouse spinal cord. (f) No axonal loss was observed in the NDM-infected mouse spinal cord. Spinal cord sections (1 m thick) of mice sacrificed 30 days p.i. with DM and NDM were stained with toluidine blue (c, d, g, and h). Large demyelinated plaques were observed in DM-infected mouse spinal cord (C.D). Myelinated spinal cord white matter region is marked (M), demyelinated region of spinal cord white matter (d), gray matter (g), macrophages (M). In NDM-infected mouse spinal cord, myelin remains relatively preserved with rare examples of early axonal degeneration characterized by loss of the central axon and collapse of the myelin sheath (arrows) (g, h). Original magnification for (a, b, e, and f) is 40x. Original magnification for (c, g) is 100x and fot (d, h) is 1000x. (adapted from the work of [73]).
