Somatostatin Receptor 1/5 Knockout and R6/2 Mice Figure 2. Comparative immunohistochemical localization of bNOS and SST in striatum of R6/2 and SSTR1/52/2 mice. The expression level of bNOS (a upper panel) was comparable in both strains. Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed no significant changes in bNOS (160 kDa) expression (a bottom panel). As shown in upper panel b expression of SST in both the strains was comparable. Western blot analysis reveals no change in expression of SST (28 kDa) in both the strains (b bottom panel) when compared to respective wt. Histogram represent quantitative analysis of bNOS and SST positive neurons (c). Data presented as mean 6 SD (SSTR1/52/2, n = 5 and R6/2 mice, n = 3) in comparison to wt mice brain. Scale bar = 20 mm panel a and b and 5 mm for inset. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024467.g002 R6/2 and SSTR1/52/2 mouse striatum. As illustrated in Figure 3c, in R6/2 mice, NR2B in striatal neurons was expressed at cell surface, whereas in SSTR1/52/2 mice, receptor-like immunore- activity was present intracellularly. These data collectively provide comparable changes in NMDAR subunits in R6/2 and SSTR1/ 52/2 mice with a distinct distribution pattern. As illustrated in Figure 3d, quantitative analysis revealed that R6/2 and SSTR1/ 52/2 mice displayed 10 and 16% increase in neuronal population positive to NR1 whereas 15 and 12% increase was observed in NR2A. In contrast, neuronal population expressing NR2B declined by 21% in R6/2 mice without any significant changes in SSTR1/ 52/2 mice brain when compared to wt mice. PLoS ONE | www.plosone.org 4 September 2011 | Volume 6 | Issue 9 | e24467