Early Reciprocal Effects in a Murine Model of Traumatic Brain Injury and Femoral Fracture

Figure 4

Astrogliosis is locally increased after TBI by concomitant femoral fracture. (a) Representative immunofluorescence images of brain sections at 5 dpi showing microglia/macrophages (anti-Iba1, red) and reactive astrocytes (anti-GFAP, green) in the perilesional cortex of CCI and CCI+FF mice and corresponding regions of FF and sham mice (bregma -2.00 mm, scale bar: 50 μm). Quantification of (b) Iba-1 or (c) GFAP immunopositive particles in ipsi- and corresponding contralateral areas and the calculated ipsi-/contralateral ratios. The ipsi-/contralateral ratio of GFAP immunopositive particles was significantly increased in CCI+FF versus CCI (^###, c). Isolated FF showed a statistical trend towards an increased ipsi-/contralateral ratio in comparison to sham (). (d) Representative immunoblot demonstrating TBI-induced GFAP protein expression in the ipsilesional brain tissue at 5 dpi in CCI and CCI+FF mice. GAPDH served as reference protein. (e) Quantification of protein band intensities of GFAP normalized to GAPDH. Expression was increased in CCI and CCI+FF mice in comparison to sham and FF () but not significantly altered in CCI versus CCI+FF groups. Values represent ; values were calculated by Holm-Sidak’s multiple comparison test.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)