Xenbase Image ID: 175667

Figure 2 Effects of capsaicin treatment on Xenopus corneal innervation. Acetylated tubulin labeling is visualized with red fluorescence, and Substance P labeling with green fluorescence. A‐C: Central area of cornea epithelium. A: Anti‐acetylated tubulin‐labeled nerves of control cornea epithelium. B: Corresponding image to A showing subset of Substance P‐labeled nerves. C: Merged image from A and B, showing both acetylated tubulin‐ and Substance P‐labeled nerves. D: Acetylated tubulin‐labeled control cornea epithelial pelt, showing the entire region that overlies the eye. Large nerve trunks radiate finer branches toward the central cornea region (the latter noted with asterisk). E: Capsaicin‐treated cornea epithelial pelt (two days of treatment) showing a reduced number of acetylated tubulin‐labeled nerve branches radiating into the central cornea (asterisk), as well as reduction in the nerve trunks around the periphery. F: Higher magnification of acetylated tubulin labeling within the control cornea epithelium. G: Acetylated tubulin labeling of the capsaicin‐treated cornea (two days of treatment). Note reduced density of labeled fibers. H: Substance P‐labeled control cornea, corresponding to the same region shown in F. The white arrowheads point out Substance P–labeled fibers that overlap with acetylated tubulin–labeled nerve fibers. I: Substance P labeling of the two‐day capsaicin–treated cornea, corresponding to the same region shown in G. Substance P is visibly reduced along the acetylated tubulin–labeled nerve fiber shown in G (noted with white arrowhead). J–M: Representative corneas from the conclusion of the capsaicin treatment experiment (eight days of treatment). J: Acetylated tubulin–labeled control cornea pelt. K: Capsaicin‐treated cornea pelt, labeled with acetylated tubulin. Note the reduced density of fibers in the central region (compared with J). L: Substance P–labeled control cornea epithelium. M: Greatly reduced Substance P labeling of a capsaicin‐treated cornea epithelium (compared with L). N: Western blot analysis of control vs five‐day capsaicin‐treated corneas. An observable reduction was noted in protein levels of alpha‐tubulin (50kD) and Substance P (18kD) proteins. Beta‐catenin (94kD) was used as a loading control. Scale bar in A–C = 24 μm. Scale bar in D,E,J,K = 50 μm. Scale bar in F–I,L,M = 12 μm Image published in: Perry KJ et al. (2019) Copyright © 2019. Image reproduced with permission of the Publisher, John Wiley & Sons. Larger Image Printer Friendly View

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