Combination Treatment of C16 Peptide and Angiopoietin-1 Alleviates Neuromyelitis Optica in an Experimental Model

Figure 8

(a–e) Treatment with C + A reduced neuronal loss in the spinal cord and brain as verified by Nissl staining. Transverse sections through the anterior horn of the lumbar spinal cord; scale bar = 100 μm. (f–o) In the vehicle-treated NMO rats, the expression of active caspase-3 was markedly increased (g, l, i, n). This phenomenon could be reversed by C + A treatment (h, m), which was the most clear at 8 weeks pi (j, o), as shown by the determination of the immunostained caspase-3-positive cells and counterstaining with hematoxylin. (f–j) Transverse sections through the anterior horn of the lumbar spinal cord. (k–o) Coronal sections through the eyeball. Scale bar = 100 μm. (p) Surviving neural cells calculated in different groups at 1 and 8 weeks pi following Nissl staining (each group is presented as a percentage of the control group). versus the control group. versus the vehicle-treated NMO rats at 1 week pi. versus the C + A-treated NMO rats at 1 week pi. versus the vehicle-treated NMO rats at 8 weeks pi. (q, r) The qualification of caspase-3⁺ cells at 1 (q) and 8 (r) weeks pi. versus the control group. versus the vehicle-treated NMO rats.

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