Fig. 5
From: Low-intensity open-field blast exposure effects on neurovascular unit ultrastructure in mice
Ultrastructural abnormalities of astrocyte end-feet and perivascular astrocyte reactivity in mouse brains post-LIB exposure. (a) Representative electron micrographs of microvessels in sham controls and LIB-exposed mice at 7 DPI. Astrocyte end-feet (AS) are highlighted in blue in sham controls and pink in LIB-exposed mice. Scale bar, 2 μm. (b) Quantifications of electron micrographs reveal astrocyte end-foot coverages and relative astrocyte end-foot areas in sham controls and LIB-exposed mice at 7 and 30 DPI. *, p < 0.05 and ***, p < 0.001. Data are expressed as median and interquartile range. (c) Red arrows indicate vacuoles within astrocyte end-feet (AS) in LIB-exposed mice at 7 DPI. Scale bar, 0.2 μm. (d) Red arrows indicate enlarged spaces between basement membranes (BM) and astrocyte end-feet (AS) (d1 − 3) and between adjacent end-feet (d4) in LIB-exposed mice at 7 DPI. Scale bar, 0.1 μm d1, d2 and 0.2 μm d3, d4. (e) Quantifications of electron micrographs reveal distances between basement membranes and astrocyte end-feet in sham controls and LIB-exposed mice at 7 and 30 DPI. **, p < 0.01. Data are expressed as median and interquartile range. (f) Photomicrographs of immunofluorescence staining with AQP-4 and GFAP showing perivascular astrocytes at 7 DPI. White arrows indicate reactive astrocytes in LIB-exposed mice, yellow arrows indicate non-reactive astrocytes in sham controls. Scale bar, 15 μm