Mechanism of anti-human antigen D (HuD/ELAVL4) autoantibody-induced enteric neuronal apoptosis in irritable bowel syndrome and its potential for targeted intervention

Figure 4 Anti-HuD autoantibody induced neuronal apoptosis in an irritable bowel syndrome rat model. A: Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling of neurons in the ileal plexus of the three groups of rats with neurons indicated by PGP 9.5; B: Cleaved caspase 3 staining of neurons in the ileal plexus of the three groups of rats with enteric neurons indicated by PGP 9.5; C: Percentage of apoptotic neurons by terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling; D: Percentage of apoptotic neurons by cleaved caspase 3 staining. The yellow arrows indicate apoptotic enteric neurons. Scale bar: 20 μm. Data are expressed as mean ± SD. C and D were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance with Tukey’s multiple comparison test, and n = 3 for each group. ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001, and ^dP < 0.0001. DAPI: 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; TUNEL: Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling.