Thrombopoietin could protect cerebral tissue against ischemia-reperfusion injury by suppressing NF-κB and MMP-9 expression in rats

Figures

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  Figure 1. Effect of thrombopoietin in ischemia-reperfusion rats' brains. (A) TTC staining of brain slices after ischemia- reperfusion. Uniformly red region in Sham operation group (a) vs. white infarct lesion in IR group (b) and TPO intervention group(c). (B) Compared with sham operation group, the neurological deficit scores were significantly increased in IR and TPO intervention group, and TPO intervention decreased neurological deficit at 24h after MCAO. (C) The brain water content of ischemic hemispheres was significantly increased after MCAO, and TPO intervention reduced ischemia-induced increase of brain water content, whereas no difference was found in contralateral hemispheres. (D) The Evan's blue extravasation of ischemic hemispheres is significantly higher than that of sham group and contralateral hemispheres in IR and TPO intervention group, and TPO intervention reduced Evan's blue content significantly compared with the IR group. (★Compared with the sham operation group, P<0.05; ▲Compared with the IR group, P<0.05; ■Compared with the contralateral brain, P<0.05)

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  Figure 2. Hematoxylin-Eosin staining (A) and Immunohistochemical staining of MMP-9 (B) and NF-κB (C) in the cerebral cortex. Scale bar, 50μm. (400×magnification) There was increased MMP-9, NF-κB immunoreactivity after Ischemia-reperfusion. TPO intervention reduced MMP-9, NF-κB immunoreactivity significantly.

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  Figure 3. TPO suppressed the expression of MMP-9 and NF-κB. (A, B) Western blot results showing the expressing levels of MMP-9 and NF-κB protein; (C) Number of MMP-9 and NF-κB positive cells assessed by immunohistochemistry; (D) RT-PCR results displaying the mRNA expression of MMP-9 and NF-κB. The expression of MMP-9 and NF-κB was massively increased in IR group, and TPO intervention effectively blocked the increase caused by ischemia-reperfusion. (▲Compared with the sham operation group, P<0.05; ■Compared with the IR group, P<0.05)