Fig. 4

Tocilizumab reduces macrophage/microglia inflammation and the formation of fibrotic scar after SCI. A, B Representative images of the spinal cords of the sham, PBS, and Tocilizumab groups are stained for CD68 (green) and PDGFRβ (red) at 14 (A) and 28 dpi (B), which exhibit fewer CD68⁺ macrophages/microglia and PDGFRβ⁺ fibroblasts in the injured core in the Tocilizumab group than in the PBS group. Asterisks indicate the injured core. Scale bars: 200 μm. D, V, R, and C represent the dorsal, ventral, rostral, and caudal sides of the injury, respectively. C, D Quantitative analysis of the CD68⁺ area (C) and PDGFRβ⁺ area (D) in the lesion epicenter at 14 and 28 dpi. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM (n = 5 in each group). **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001 (Tocilizumab vs. PBS). ^####p < 0.0001 (sham vs. PBS and Tocilizumab)