Neutropenia significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the number of cleaved caspase-3 positive cells in the cortex (187.3 ± 37.4 cells/ field vs. 293.2 ± 28 cells/ field), but not in the dentate gyrus (41.1 ± 9.5 cells/ field vs. 50.2 ± 9.7 cells/ field), indicating that the accumulation of PMN in the cortex contributes to caspase-3 activation. This evidence concerns the gene CASP3 and Decreased total neutrophil count.