Functional Crosstalk between CB and TRPV1 Receptors Protects Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Neurons in the MPTP Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Figure 5

Anandamide inhibits glial activation and production of proinflammatory molecules in the SN of MPTP-treated mice in vivo. Mice were intraperitoneally given an injection of PBS as a control (CON) or MPTP only (M) or MPTP + anandamide (0.5 mg/kg; MA) 12 hours after the last injection of MPTP. (a) Real-time PCR showing the messenger RNA expression of proinflammatory molecules in the SN. The total RNA was isolated from the SN at 1 day after the last injection of MPTP or vehicle in the absence or presence of anandamide (refer to Figure 2(a)). These results are of four samples. C: control; A: anandamide; M: MPTP; MA: MPTP and anandamide. , significantly different from C. ^# and ^##, significantly different from M (one-way ANOVA with the Neuman-Keuls post hoc test). (b, c) Photomicrographs of CD11b⁺ microglia and GFAP⁺ astrocytes in the SN of MPTP-treated mice in vivo. Mice that received PBS as a control (CON), MPTP (M), and MPTP and anandamide (MA) were sacrificed at 3 days after the last MPTP injection (refer to Figure 2(a)). Brains were removed, and coronal sections (30 μm) were cut using a sliding microtome. Every sixth serial section was selected and immunostained with CD11b antibody for microglia (b) or GFAP antibody for astrocytes (c). These data are representative of five to six animals per group. Dotted lines indicate SNpc. Scale bars: 300 μm (b); 250-420 μm (c).

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