PCR analysis of DNA from Scn1afl/fl, PV-Cre-TG whole brain verified PV-Cre-TG-dependent recombination of the floxed Scn1a allele (Fig. 8A).
The spatial and temporal patterns of Nav1.1 expression were examined by immunohistochemistry in Scn1afl/fl, PV-Cre-KI brain parasagittal sections.
To evaluate the potential effects of knockout genotypes on the numerical density of neurons associated with PN, as well as on PV immunoreactive neurons, frontal brain sections of all mouse strains were investigated.
Western blot analysis showed that Nav1.1 expression in P21.5 Scn1afl/fl, PV-Cre-TG whole brain was reduced to 51.4 ± 2.1% level of that in Scn1afl/fl littermates (Fig. 8B and C).
In the brain, PGC-1α, PV and mitochondria coordinately regulate Ca2+ homeostasis in a cell-specific manner.
To analyze the possible correlation between the number of PV-interneurons in the old brain and cognitive ability, we subjected old animals to a series of simple memory tasks and compared their performance to that of similar age animals deficient in IL-6 production.
Western blot analysis showed that Nav1.1 expression levels in Scn1afl/fl, PV-Cre-KI mouse whole brain at P21.5 and 8 weeks were 98.9 ± 6.4 and 87.6 ± 4.3% of those in age-matched Scn1afl/fl control littermates, respectively, although the slight reduction at 8 weeks was not statistically significant (Fig. 10B and C).
We injected AAV-LSL-ChR2 virus into the left auditory cortex of PV-Cre mice and prepared coronal brain slices at least 2 weeks post-infection.
No alteration, in thickness or staining intensity, was noticed in the PV honeycomb between experimental and normal brains.
To determine whether old mice lacking IL-6, which had lower Nox2 expression and superoxide production in brain would have preservation of PV-interneurons during aging, we carried out analysis in young and old wild-type and IL-6-/ mice.
