Effect of acetyl-L-carnitine on hypersensitivity in acute recurrent caerulein-induced pancreatitis and microglial activation along the brain’s pain circuitry

Figure 6 In the central lateral and paraventricular thalamic nuclei, microglial areas in mice with caerulein-induced pancreatitis were enlarged. A: An overview of the mouse brain at bregma -2.18 mm, interaural 1.62 mm[50,51] is shown with the analyzed central lateral and paraventricular thalamic nuclei thalamic area analyzed outlined in yellow. B and C: Examples of microglia of naïve control and caerulein- (CAE) induced pancreatitis mice with sample convex areas circled in red; D and E: Microglial convex area and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) staining intensity were significantly enhanced in animals with CAE-induced pancreatitis; F and G: Similarly, somal areas were significantly enlarged, yet, their Iba1 staining intensity was decreased. Naïve control n = 4, CAE + VEH n = 5, ^aP < 0.05 Student’s t-test. CAE: Caerulein; VEH: Vehicle.