Fig. 1
Aβ accumulation in brain pericytes in AD patients and 8.5-month-old APPSw/0 mice. a-f Representative confocal microscopy images showing Aβ colocalization with CD13+ (a-b) and PDGFRβ+ (d-e) pericytes in brain cortical sections from AD patients compared to negligible levels in age-matched controls, and quantification of Aβ + area in pericytes expressed as the percentage of Aβ + area occupying CD13+ (c) or PDGFRβ+ (f) pericyte capillary profiles. N = 6 per group; mean ± s.d., p < 0.01 by Student’s t-test. Orthogonal views shown on the right in A, B, D and E are from 10 μm Z-stacks. Scale bar, 25 μm. g-i Representative confocal microscopy images showing Aβ colocalization with CD13+ pericytes (g) in brain sections from 8.5-month old APPSw/0 mice and age-matched littermate control, and quantification of Aβ + area within CD13+ pericyte profiles in APPSw/0 mice and controls (h). N = 3 mice per group; mean ± SD, p < 0.001 by Student’s t-test. Orthogonal views from 10 μm Z-stacks. Scale bar, 25 μm. i Representative images showing TUNEL staining (green) in CD13+ brain pericytes in 8.5-month old APPSw/0 mice. Lectin (blue), labels brain endothelium. Aβ (white), shows perivascular and intracellular accumulation. Scale bar: 10 μm. Asterisk shows Aβ deposit; Arrowheads show TUNEL+ CD13+ pericytes. j Quantification of TUNEL+ CD13+ pericytes in the cortex of 3- and 8.5-month old APPSw/0 mice compared to 8.5-month old littermate controls. N = 3 mice per group; mean ± s.e.m.; p < 0.05 by Student’s t-test