Effects of NaBH4 on PrP Sc protein levels, PrP C RNA hydrolysis and scrapie incubation period.

1. Effects of NaBH4 on PrPSc protein levels, PrPC RNA hydrolysis and scrapie incubation period. A: Western blot of PrPSc of untreated scrapie brain homogenate and following treatment with various doses of NaBH4. B: Protein levels by Coomassie blue staining of untreated 8.33% scrapie brain homogenate and following various doses of NaBH4. C: Western blot of PrPC of untreated normal brain homogenate and following treatment with various doses of NaBH4. PK (+) indicates protein kinase treatment (150 μg/ml, 37° C for 1 h). D: RNA concentration of untreated 263K brain homogenate and following treatment with various doses of NaBH4. The graph (mean ± SD) shows statistical significance of RNA concentration of 263K+NaBH4 following treatment with various doses of NaBH4 vs. no treatment (n = 3), **p<0.01. E: Incubation periods of untreated and NaBH4 (50 mg/ml)-treated scrapie brain homogenates were compared. The graph shows percentage survival vs. days post-inoculation following intracerebral inoculation of 10-4 dilution of brain homogenate. Mean incubation periods (mean ± SD) were calculated using only animals that became clinically ill within 140 d of inoculation; values for treated and untreated samples are shown in the table, **p<0.01.