Statistical Analysis
Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation and were analyzed using SPSS v20.0 software (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Escape latency in the MWM was evaluated by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tamhane’s T2 test was then used for multiple comparisons between groups. Intergroup comparisons at different time points (2 and 4 weeks) for the MWM spatial probe test and for LFB staining, immunofluorescence double labeling, and western blotting data (MBP, p-AMPK, NF-κB, p-STAT3, Olig2, and SIRT1 at 2 weeks and MBP, p-AMPK, NF-κB, and p-STAT3 at 4 weeks) were performed by one-way ANOVA with Fisher’s least significant difference test. Western blotting (TNF-α at 2 weeks and SIRT1, Olig2, and TNF-α at 4 weeks) and qRT-PCR data were assessed by one-way ANOVA with Tamhane’s T2 test. Data for CCH rats sacrificed at 2 and 4 weeks were compared with the independent samples t-test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A complete flow chart of the study design is shown in Figures 1A,B.
Figure 1  A complete flow chart of this study. (A) The flow chart of the morphological part in this study. The rats in each group were injected with BrdU intraperitoneally for 14 consecutive days. They were sacrificed at 2 weeks and 4 weeks separately for luxol fast blue (LFB) staining and immunofluorescence double staining. n = 6. (B) The flow chart of the molecular part in this study. Rats in each group were sacrificed at 2 weeks and 4 weeks separately for western blot and q-RT-PCR. n = 12.