Fig. 9

TUNEL-positive cells are associated with activated microglia and reactive astrocytes in the hippocampal CA1 region of a blast-exposed rat. Shown are images of the hippocampal CA1 region infiltrated with activated unramified ameboid microglia (Iba1, white) and reactive astrocytes (GFAP, red), and stained for TUNEL (green). a, Merged panoramic image. Arrows indicate affected CA1 subregions. Insert in a shows higher magnification of an affected CA1 subregion. Note that most of the TUNEL-positive structures (green) are associated with activated microglia (white, insert). b, Merged higher magnification image showing loss of large neuronal nuclei and their replacement by Iba1 positive microglial cells with small condensed nuclei (Iba1, white; arrows). c, TUNEL-positive astrocytes (TUNEL, green; GFAP, red; arrows). d, TUNEL staining. Arrows indicate TUNEL-positive neuronal nuclei in the affected CA1 subregion. e, Control non-blast exposed rat (Iba1, white; GFAP, red; TUNEL, green). DAPI, blue. Scale, 100 µm in a, 50 µm in b-e