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Fig. 6 | Acta Neuropathologica Communications

Fig. 6

From: Retinal ischemia induces α-SMA-mediated capillary pericyte contraction coincident with perivascular glycogen depletion

Fig. 6

Ischemia-induced pericyte contraction is mediated by calcium and is time dependent in NG2:GCaMP6 mice. a and b images from the retina of mouse expressing a genetically encoded calcium indicator (GCaMP6) under the NG2 promoter (NG2:GCaMP6) specific for pericytes (arrowheads) and the graphs (c-d) illustrate that ischemia induces intracellular calcium increase in pericytes (arrows point to constrictions). The intensity of calcium signal increased over time, starting 40 min after arterial occlusion (c) (non-ischemic: n = 82 pericytes in four retinae; 40-min ischemia: n = 91 pericytes in three retinae; 60-min ischemia: n = 62 pericytes in three retinae; 60 min ischemia+CBX: n = 84 pericytes in five retinae; *P < 0.01, ANOVA and Tukey’s test). The intensity of calcium signal as well as the number of pericytes with high GCaMP6 fluorescence in ischemic retinae was reduced by CBX pre-treatment (c-d; non-ischemic: n = 4 retinae in C and 5 retinae in D; ischemia: n = 3 retinae; ischemia+CBX: n = 5 retinae; *P < 0.05, ANOVA and Tukey’s test). Most of the intensely calcium signal labeled pericytes were colocalized with microvascular constrictions (arrows in b). Scale bars in a-b = 10 μm

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