Fig. 7

PDA NPs alleviated the impairment of synaptic structures. a Representative camera tracings and the corresponding bar graphs with dots showing b total dendritic length [F (3, 39) = 0.04098, P = 0.9888] and c intersection numbers of hippocampal pyramidal neurons by Golgi-Cox staining (10–12 neurons from 3 mice per group). d Representative camera tracings and the corresponding bar graphs showing e total dendritic length [F (3, 44) = 0.2182, P = 0.8832] and f intersection numbers of pyramidal neurons in the mPFC (12 neurons from 3 mice per group). Scale bar = 50 μm (A, D). g Representative images and the corresponding quantification showing neuronal dendrites spine numbers per 10 mm in the h hippocampus [F (3, 56) = 24.79, P < 0.0001] and i mPFC [F (3, 56) = 17.99, P < 0.0001] (15 dendrites from 3 mice per group). Scale bar = 10 μm. j Representative western blot and k the corresponding bar graphs with dots showing PSD-95 [F (3, 16) = 23.84, P < 0.0001] and vGLUT1 [F (3, 16) = 5.498, P = 0.0086] expression levels in the hippocampus (n = 5–6/group). Data are presented as the means ± SEM. Results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni test for post hoc comparisons. (*): P < 0.05, (**): P < 0.01 versus indicated groups; (n.s.): not significant. LPS lipopolysaccharide, PBS phosphate-buffered saline, PDA NPs polydopamine nanoparticles, mPFC medial prefrontal cortex, PSD95 postsynaptic density protein 95, vGLUT1 vesicular glutamate transporter 1