Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactivity in astrocytes of the human brain.
Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactive (VIP-LIR) astrocytes were found in the subcortical white matter of the human forebrain parietal lobe. Astrocytes expressing VIP-LIR represented a minority (0.97%) of the GFAP-stained astrocyte population in the white matter. The close anatomical relationship between the VIP-LIR astrocyte bodies and processes and the brain vasculature strongly suggests that they may play a role in the local control of blood flow and of the barrier properties of the vessel walls.
Istituto di Anatomia Umana Normale, Università di Bari, Italy.
D
D
Virgintino
V
V
Benagiano
E
E
Maiorano
A
A
Rizzi
M
M
Errede
M
M
Bertossi
L
L
Roncali
G
G
Ambrosi
D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*
D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide