Fig. 1

The increase in BSCB permeability parallels elevated UTX expression post-SCI. a, b Representative digital pictures and NIRF images of spinal cord samples from EB leakage tests taken before and after SCI in WT mice. Scale bar, 5 mm. c Quantitative analysis of the radiant efficiency of EB in b. n = 3 per group. d Representative TEM images of WT mice SCI center ECs TJs in the sham and SCI 3d group. Red arrows point to TJs. Scale bar, 1 μm. e Quantitative analysis of TJs width, length and BMs thickness in d. n = 3 per group. f Representative immunofluorescence images of ZO-1 or Claudin-5 (red) and CD31 (green), and DAPI (blue) staining of the spinal cord injured and uninjured regions in WT mice with SCI 3d. Scale bars, 500 μm and 50 μm. g Quantitative analysis of CD31⁺ZO-1⁺ and CD31⁺Claudin-5⁺ cells as a percentage of CD31⁺ cells in f, n = 6 per group. h–i Distribution of the BMS scores and BMS sub-scores in sham and after SCI throughout the 28-day period. n = 12 per group. j, k Pearson correlation analysis of radiant efficiency of EB leakage in c at the corresponding time point with BMS scores and BMS sub-scores in h, i. r = − 0.8771, P < 0.0001 and r = − 0.7806, P < 0.0001. l Representative immunofluorescence images of UTX (red), CD31 (green) and DAPI (blue) staining of SCI centers at different time points before SCI and after SCI. Scale bars, 50 μm and 20 μm. m Quantitative analysis of CD31⁺UTX⁺ cells as a percentage of CD31⁺ cells in l, n = 6 per group compared with the corresponding sham group. n Pearson's correlation analysis of the fluorescence intensity of EB leakage in the corresponding time point c plot with the percentage of CD31⁺UTX⁺ cells to CD31⁺ cells in l, r = 0.7212, P < 0.001. Data are represented as mean ± SEM. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01