Fig. 7

SPT-2101 treatment reduces macrophage infiltration and oxidative stress after LPS challenge. (A) Representative confocal maximum projections of cochlear cross-cryosections immunolabeled for IBA1 (in red), showing the spiral ligament (SL, outlined in a-c) and spiral ganglion (SG) of basal (a–f), middle (g–l) and apical (m–r) cochlear turns of control, LPS and LPS plus SPT groups, 72 h after LPS challenge. White arrowheads highlight positive staining of macrophages. Scale bar: 50 μm. B and C) IBA1 total staining intensity quantification in the SL (B) and SG (C), in control (white), LPS (red), and LPS plus SPT (green) experimental groups. Values are presented as mean ± SE, from at least 3 rats per group. Statistical significance was analyzed by either one-way ANOVA or the Kruskal-Wallis test (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001, compared to control; #p < 0.05; ##p < 0.01; ###p < 0.001, compared to LPS). D) Western blotting of whole cochlea protein extracts from control, LPS and LPS + SPT groups, 4 h after LPS injection. NLRP3 and NRF2 levels are relative to those of vinculin, and normalized to those from control rats. Data presented as mean ± SE, n = 4 rats per condition. Statistical significance was analyzed by ANOVA (#p < 0.05, compared to LPS).