LC3 Distribution in Brain Sections after Traumatic Brain Injury

To study autophagic protein cellular distribution, we performed confocal microscopy of LC3 (green) and propidium iodide (red) in brain sections from sham-operated control rats and rats subjected to TBI followed by 24 h of recovery. Microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 immunoreactivity (green) was located mainly in neurons of both neocortical and CA3 areas (Figures 5A and 5C, arrows), as well as CA1 and DG regions (data not shown). The pattern of LC3 immunoreactivity was not obviously changed at the neocortical injury sites after TBI (Figures 5B and 5D, arrows). A fraction of propidium iodide-stained shrunken neurons in theneocortical and CA3 regions was not labeled by LC3 antibody in the post-TBI brain sections, because these neurons were damaged by TBI (Figures 5B and 5D, arrowheads). The neocortical and CA3 regions are major TBI foci in the fluid percussion injury model used in this study (Dietrich et al, 1996).

外伤性脑损伤后脑片中LC3的分布

为研究自噬蛋白在细胞内的分布，我们在激光共焦荧光显微镜下观察了对照假手术组和TBI后恢复24小时的鼠脑切片的图象LC3（绿色）与propidium iodide（红色）。

微管相关蛋白轻链LC3免疫活性反应(绿色)主要位于新皮层 和海马CA3两个区域内的神经元上，（图5A，5C箭头所指），在海马中CA1与DG区域上也有（数据未标出）LC3免疫活性反应模式在TBI后的神经损伤区域未观察到明显变化(Figures 5B and 5D, arrows)。propidium iodide染色的缩小的神经元部分在TBI后的脑切片的新皮层和海马中CA3区域上未被LC3抗体标记，这是因为这些神经元已经被TBI所损害(Figures 5B and 5D, arrowheads)。

在本研究使用的液体冲击损伤模型中的新皮层和海马CA3区域是TBI的主要作用点。(Dietrich et al, 1996)。