Fig 2: Quantitative analyses demonstrating immunoreactivity area (μm2) for (A) GFAP: AHA (H (3)=17.911, p≤0.001); MPO (H(3)=21.6. p≤0.001); Pe (H (3)=2.235, p=0.007); SO (H(3)=11.043; p≤0.011); LA (F (3.16)=1.425, p=0.272). B) PCNA: AHA (H (3)=35.262, p≤0.001); MPO (F (3.40)= 2.271, p<0.001); Pe (F (3.65)=38.886, p<0.001); SO (F (3.19)= 8.19, p<0.001); LA (F (3.18)=34.495, p<0.001). C) caspase-3: AHA (H (3)=26.11, p≤0.001); MPO (H(3)=21.288, p≤0.001); Pe (H(3)=13.897, p=0.003); SO (F (3.18)=4.930, p=0.011). *ANOVA followed by a Holm-Sidak test; &Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA ranks, followed by a Dunn test; #Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA ranks, followed by a SNK test.

Fig 3: Apoptosis and microgliosis in medial SNpc (unilateral). a) Immunolabeling of caspase-3. b) Microglia around TH-IR neurons (green channel). Caspase-3 and CD11b/c (microglia marker) are shown in the red channel. Scale bar = 20 μm. Graphs showing the soma size (c), neuronal sprouting (d), and comparative levels of TH, caspase-3 (Cas-3), and CD11b/c-positive cells in all treatments (e). O.D.: Optical density. * P<0.05 vs vehicle, + treatment vs treatment

Fig 4: Neu2-overexpressed pancreatic cancer sphere-forming cells (N-PCS) exhibited reduced sialylation and stemness-like property. (A) Phase-contrast images showed reduced sphere formation of N-PCS compared to PCS generated from both MIAPaCa2 and AsPC1 cells. (B) Bar graph of qPCR data showed decreased expression of pluripotent stem cell markers (OCT4, SOX2, NANOG) and CD133 in N-PCS than PCS from both MIAPaCa2 and AsPC1 cells. (C) Confocal microscopy images showed enhanced expression of Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog in PCS compared to adherent cancer cells. Those expressions were again reduced in N-PCS. (D) Representative blots exhibited reduced SNA and MALII binding with N-PCS compared to PCS. Cell lysates were prepared and electrophoretically separated using 10% polyacrylamide gel and further processed for Western blotting. Ponceau S stained blots were used as loading control. (E) Cell viability assay showed reduced viability upon Neu2 overexpression in PCS. Error bars represent the mean (±) SD; p-values (** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001) calculated using Two-tailed Student’s t-test. (F) Western blot analysis illustrated higher expression of pro-caspase proteins such as Caspase 7, 8, cleaved caspase 3 and Bax along with reduced expression of Bcl2 in N-PCS. No change of expression level was found in Caspase 9. β-actin served as a loading control.

Fig 5: (A) Western blots showing immunoreactive bands of active caspase-3 and of ß-actin, used as an internal standard, in control rat retinas and in retinas of STZ rats with or without LG treatment. (B) Quantitative analysis of the OD of the immunoreactive bands. Each column represents mean ± SD. * p < 0.05 vs. Ctrl; ** p < 0.01 vs. Ctrl; § p < 0.05 vs. STZ; n = 3 for all measures. Power value: 0.99. (C–E) Representative immunofluorescence images showing caspase-3 immunopositive cells in retinas of control rats (C), STZ rats (D), and STZ rats treated with LG (E). DAPI counterstain. Scale bar, 50 µm.