fig4

Figure 4. Changes in the M1/M2 paradigm 8-10 weeks after an intervention with bone marrow-derived stem cells (Neuro-Cells), methylprednisolone and vehicle in the acute phase of a spinal cord injury in rats. (A) The Western blot Iba1-IR quantified polarization from M1 to M2 microglia in the spinal cord white matter within the area close to and into the lesion center. Ten weeks after the intrathecal intervention with Neuro-cells, the Iba1 expression was significantly lower (P < 0.05) compared to the treatment with intrathecal vehicle and/or intra-peritoneal methylprednisolone 150 mg/kg (data normalized to Iba1-IR in the spinal white matter of intact healthy (sham) rats; statistical difference not indicated). Bars show means and SEM, n = 5-6 rats/group (Romero-Ramírez et al.^[61], 2020, with permission of the authors). (B) Display of the increased levels of the typical M2-synthesized arginase-1 (inhibiting NO production), the M2 cell surface marker CD206 and the chemokine receptor CCR-2, polarizing macrophages toward an M2 phenotype, PCR-quantified polarization from M-1 to M-2 microglia (adapted from Wolters et al.^[65] and de Munter et al.^[71] with permission of the authors), 8 weeks after the acute intrathecal intervention of Neuro-cells in acute balloon compression-induced spinal cord injured rats, compared to SCI-rats, treated at the same time with only the vehicle. Due to the low numbers of experimental animals, significances were not reached.