Figure 5.
Restoration of BFCN number and size by NGF infusion in aged Ts65Dn mice. Comparison of stereological data for the number (a) and size (b) of p75NGFR-immunoreactive BFCNs in the MSN (mean ± SEM) of 18-month-old control (2N, white) and Ts65Dn (black) mice, either unoperated or after 2 weeks of continuous intracerebroventricular infusion of either NGF (0.9 μg/day) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (vehicle). (a) Note that NGF treatment restored to normal the number of p75NGFR-immunoreactive BFCNs in Ts65Dn (Ts65Dn, vehicle = 1612 ± 106, n = 8; Ts65Dn, NGF = 2004 ± 119, n = 8). NGF also reversed the decrease in number that accompanied vehicle treatment of 2N mice (2N, vehicle = 1450 ± 99, n = 6; 2N, NGF = 1805 ± 76, n = 6). (b) NGF treatment also significantly increased the cross-sectional area of p75NGFR-immunoreactive BFCNs in Ts65Dn (Ts65Dn, vehicle = 104.7 ± 4.1 μm2, n = 8; Ts65Dn, NGF = 131.7 ± 4.0, n = 8). NGF also increased the profile area of BFCNs in 2N mice by 17%, to the value seen in unoperated 2N mice (2N, vehicle = 115.1 ± 5.5, n = 6; 2N, NGF = 134.6 ± 8.4, n = 6). The difference was not statistically significant.