Figure 8

(A) Prussian blue and cresyl violet histology reveals no apparent iron accumulation in the striatum of both saline and lactacystin-lesioned animals (arrowheads in A) (×2.5 magnification, scale bars = 300 μm; insets × 40 magnification, scale bars = 20 μm). (B) By contrast, extensive iron deposits are observed in the SNc of lactacystin lesioned animals but not saline controls (arrowheads in B); (×2.5 magnification, scale bars = 300 μm; insets ×40 magnification, scale bars = 20 μm). Note that iron deposition is not confined to the SN but is also present in extra-nigral regions (C) Densitometry measurements confirmed the increased in iron deposition in the SN of lactacystin-lesioned animals compared to saline controls. Data shown are mean optical density values (arbitrary units) ± SEM. **p < 0.01; saline vs. lactacystin. (D) Iron deposits were also observed in proximity to the needle-tract of lactacystin-lesioned animals, but not saline controls (arrows in D) (×2.5 magnification, scale bar = 300 μm). Interestingly, iron accumulation appears to overlap with areas of neuronal loss in the midbrain of lactacystin-lesioned animals as shown in Figure 5D.