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Fig. 7 | Journal of Neuroinflammation

Fig. 7

From: Astrocytes display ultrastructural alterations and heterogeneity in the hippocampus of aged APP-PS1 mice and human post-mortem brain samples

Fig. 7

Ultrastructural characterization of dark and typical astrocytes. Representative 5 nm per pixel of resolution scanning electron microscopy images of dark and typical astrocytes acquired in the ventral hippocampus CA1 stratum lacunosum-moleculare of 3- to 4-month-old C57BL/6J male mice (A and C) and stratum lacunosum-moleculare of aged APP-PS1 20-month-old male mice (B–G). In A′, red arrows identify the electron-dense interface between two typical astrocytic elements filled with gap junctions. In A″, black arrow identifies intermediate filaments. In B′, a typical astrocyte makes direct contact with dendritic spines and axon terminals. An angular protuberance is identified with a yellow arrow. In B″, the red arrows identify the electron-dense interface. In C′, the electron-dense interface between two dark astrocytic elements is highlighted with a red arrow. In C″, direct contact of dark astrocytes with a dendritic spine is shown with a blue arrow, comparable to the interaction of synaptic elements and typical astrocytes in B″. In D′, the electron-dense interface between two dark astrocytic end-feet is shown with the red arrows. In D″, glycogen granules identified by white arrows, as well as several contacts with dendritic spines and axon terminals. In E and F, G typical and dark astrocytes, respectively, are located near amyloid beta plaques and dystrophic neurites. Dilated Golgi apparatus cisternae identified by a blue arrow are observed. Several lysosomes identified with an asterisk and internalized dystrophic neurites and dendritic spines are shown. Yellow outline = nuclear membrane, purple outline = dark astrocytic cytoplasm, red outline = typical astrocytic cytoplasm, green outline = basement membrane, red arrow = interface between two astrocytic elements, black arrow = intermediate filaments, white arrow = glycogen granules, blue arrow = dilated Golgi apparatus, yellow arrow = angular processes, white asterisk = lysosomes, orange pseudo-coloring = dendritic spines, pink pseudo-coloring = dystrophic neurites, blue pseudo-coloring = axon terminals, purple pseudo-coloring = amyloid beta plaques

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