Figure 5

MnTBAP protects against protein nitration. The sections 0.6 to 3.1 mm rostral to the epicenter in the animals, as shown in Figure 4, were immuno-stained at 0.5-mm intervals with an anti-Ntyr antibody. Upper panel, photomicrographs of rat spinal cord sections 2.6 mm rostral to the epicenter immuno-stained with an anti-Ntyr antibody. A-B, lower magnification; A’-B’, higher magnification of A-B. A-A’, saline-treated and B-B’, MnTBAP-treated sections. Fewer Ntyr-positive neurons appeared in the MnTBAP-treated sections. C-E, immuno-colocalization of a double-immuno-fluorescence-stained section with an anti-Ntyr antibody (D, green) and an anti-NSE (C, red) antibody, and immuno-colocalization of C and D (E, yellow). Scale bars100 μm. The lower panel presents the quantitative results of MnTBAP protection against protein nitration obtained by counting Ntyr-positive neurons in the sections at different distances from the epicenter. Comparison of the counts between the sections treated by optimal dose of MnTBAP and those treated by vehicle indicates that MnTBAP significantly (indicated by an asterisk*) reduced the number of Ntyr-positive neurons in the sections 1.1 to 3.1 mm to the epicenter. Error bars, mean ± S.E.M.