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Microvessels Isolated from Rat Brain: Localization of Astrocyte Processes by Immunohistochemical Techniques
Author(s) -
White Fredric P.,
Dutton Gary R.,
Norenberg Michael D.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1981.tb02417.x
Subject(s) - astrocyte , glial fibrillary acidic protein , basement membrane , microbiology and biotechnology , pericyte , immunohistochemistry , biology , electron microscope , glutamine synthetase , pathology , neuroglia , anatomy , chemistry , neuroscience , glutamine , endothelial stem cell , central nervous system , biochemistry , immunology , medicine , physics , optics , amino acid , in vitro
Microvascular networks were isolated from rat telencephalon by density gradient centrifugation. The vessels prepared were characterized morphologically at the light and electron microscope level and immunohistochemically by the localization of glutamine synthetase and glial fibrillary acidic protein, two proteins found almost exclusively in astrocytes. The vast majority of the vessels prepared contained more than just endothelial cells surrounded by a basement membrane. Many arterioles were found still retaining their smooth muscle cells. Pericytes were found in association with most of the venules and many of the capillaries. Astrocyte processes remained attached to most of the microvessels. These results show that vessels prepared from rat brain still maintain most of their complex intercellular contacts and must be viewed as a heterogeneous network of cells.