Fig. 2

Brain αSMA⁺ cells rarely express Iba1 following ischemia. Immunohistochemistry showed that αSMA expression was predominantly observed in the smooth muscle cells located around large vessels that also expressed PDGFRβ (PDGFRβ (a–c red), αSMA (a, b, d green), DAPI (a–d blue)). However, following ischemia, Ibal⁺ cells rarely expressed αSMA at post-stroke day 3 (e–h), 5 (i–l), and 7 (m–p) (αSMA (f, g, j, k, n, o red), Iba1 (f, h, j, l, n, p green), and DAPI (f–h, j–l, n–p blue)). This pattern suggested that microglia originate in part from perivascular cells and in particular from PCs rather than smooth muscle cells. Scale bars = 50 μm (a) and 20 μm (b, f, j, n) Iba1 ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1, PDGFRβ platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β