Cell death.

<p>Activated caspase-3 immunoreactivity and TUNEL staining 3h after SAH. Panels A-B: 4-color fluorescence staining for TUNEL, NeuN, collagen-IV, and DAPI. Panel A: typical micrographs from male and female SAH animals. Each channel is shown as a separate image. Small arrows: TUNEL-positive neurons; large arrowheads: TUNEL-positive vascular cells. Note the greater frequency of TUNEL-positive neurons in male as compared to female. Panel B: average numbers of TUNEL-only, TUNEL+NeuN, and TUNEL+collagen-IV profiles. TUNEL-only and TUNEL-NeuN profiles are significantly greater in males than in females. Panel C: average numbers of profiles positive for activated caspase-3 (Cas) only, Cas+NeuN, and Cas+collagen-IV. All three indexes are significantly greater in male animals. Panel D: Fluoro-Jade B-positive cells (arrows) in representative SAH male and female brain sections. Panel E: Average numbers of Fluoro-Jade B-positive cells in SAH animals. Data are mean ± sem from 5 animals per gender. * significantly gender difference (p <0.05). </p

Cerebral inflammation.

<p>Luminal platelet aggregates and neutrophil accumulation in animals sacrificed 3 hours after SAH. Panel A: representative images of neutrophil staining. Note the greater number of neutrophils in male as compared to female brain. Scale bar = 500 μm. Panels B, C: average numbers of neutrophils and vascular platelet aggregates per whole brain section and per image field, respectively. Both parameters are greater in male as compared to female brains. Data are mean ± sem from 5 animals per gender. * significantly difference than females (p <0.05).</p