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Fig. 3 | BMC Neuroscience

Fig. 3

From: Does physical exercise improve or deteriorate treatment of multiple sclerosis with mitoxantrone? Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis study in rats

Fig. 3

Histopathological examination of rats’ brain treated with mitoxantrone. A Photomicrograph of control rat cerebellum showing no inflammation and no demyelinating plaques, while photomicrographs of EAE B SED and C EX groups show leukocortical plaques with inflammatory infiltration and decreased neurons in the granular cell layer. Sections of mitoxantrone treated D EAE sedentary and E exercised groups reveal reduced inflammatory cellular infiltrates, preservation of the white matter and grey matter, as well as near complete healing of the plaques. Compared to F normal control brain stem, sections of G sedentary and H exercised EAE groups show an active plaque with reduced numbers of axons and microcyst formation. Reactive astrocytes are surrounding the plaque (black arrows) and lymphocytic infiltrates. Sections of mitoxantrone treated EAE I sedentary and J exercised group reveal reduced inflammatory cellular infiltrates and increased axons with reduced microcyst formation. Reactive astrocytes and gliosis are more pronounced at the periphery. K and L summarize inflammation scores in the cerebellum and brain stem among different groups in exercised and sedentary rats, respectively. Non-parametric data were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis Test followed by Dunn's Multiple Comparison Test and presented as median with range (p < 0.05). As compared with CNSED (*), CNEX ($), EAESED (#) and EAEEX (%). The median values are presented as CNSED = 0, CNEX = 0, EAESED = 2.5, EAEEX = 2, MTSED = 1 and MTEX = 0. EAE experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; groups of CNSED = sedentary control; CNEX exercised control, EAESED sedentary untreated EAE, EAEEX exercised untreated EAE, MTSED sedentary mitoxantrone, MTEX exercised mitoxantrone; (n = 6/group)

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