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Figure 3 | Neural Development

Figure 3

From: Pharmacological manipulation of GABA-driven activity in ovo disrupts the development of dendritic morphology but not the maturation of spinal cord network activity

Figure 3

Effect of bicuculline and muscimol on the dendritic morphology of E8 chicken lumbar motoneurons. The effect of bicuculline and muscimol on the dendritic morphology of E8 chicken spinal motoneurons was tested following daily applications of these drugs between E5 and E8. (A) Neurolucida drawing of DiI-labeled E8 lumbar motoneurons showing the typical dendritic structure of vehicle-, bicuculline- and muscimol-treated motoneurons. (B-E) Treatment of chicken embryos with bicuculline (10 or 20 μM) or muscimol (5 μM) between E5 and E8 causes a significant decrease in the dendritic complexity of E8 motoneurons. Notice significant reduction in the overall length of the dendritic arbor/cell, number of primary dendrites, number of branch points and number of ends. (F, G) Treatment of chicken embryos with bicuculline (10 or 20 μM) or muscimol (5 μM) between E5 and E8 has no effect on the cell body morphology. (H) Comparison of E8 dendritic morphology as a function of dendritic order in embryos treated with bicuculline or muscimol between E5 and E8. Application of bicuculline or muscimol to chicken embryos between E5 and E8 causes a significant reduction of the number of dendrites between the first and fourth dendritic orders and a complete elimination of higher order dendrites (sixth and seventh dendritic orders) when compared to vehicle-treated embryos. *P < 0.01 versus vehicle; **P < 0.05 versus bicuculline 10 μM. NS denotes no significant differences between the groups as indicated by one-way ANOVA.

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