Fig. 11
Summary of surface area analysis of α-synuclein (α-syn) and Thioflavin S in the substantia nigra (SN) pars compacta region. (a) Confocal microscopic images of DAPI, α-syn and Thioflavin S staining in 40-μm nigral brain slices of rats with the following treatments: Control (DMSO/Saline), CPA, DPCPX, 1-aminoindan, 2-aminoindan, DPCPX + CPA, 1-aminoindan + CPA, and 2-aminoindan + CPA. Scale bar, 50 μm. (b) The mean area intensities of α-syn and Thioflavin S in the SN pars compacta. The fluorescence intensity was quantified in a 100 × 100 μm2 region and normalized by subtracting the fluorescence intensity in a 50 × 50 μm2 background non-cell body bottom area. CPA increased the levels of α-syn and aggregated α-syn, and these levels were further enhanced by co-treatments with 2-aminoindan. (c) Pearson correlation coefficient of α-syn and Thioflavin S in the SN pars compacta with CPA. Average intensity values and correlation coefficients in bars represent mean ± SEM from n = 4 independent experiments. ns, non-significant; *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; and ***P < 0.001 (one-way ANOVA followed by Student–Newman–Keuls post-hoc multiple comparison test)