Fig. 1.

Representative images of astrocytes immunolabelled with each antibody in the superior frontal cortex. The images in each column are taken from the same case and all sections are counterstained with hematoxylin. The pial surface is orientated to the top in panels a-e with the cortical layers depicted. Immunostaining with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP; (a, f, k, p, u)) and aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 L1 (ALDH1L1; (b, g, l, q, v)) label the astrocytic cell body and processes. ALDH1L1 labelled the largest proportion of astrocytes, which were distributed throughout all cortical layers. Connexin-43 (Cx43; (c, h, m, r, w)), aquaporin-4 (AQP4; (d, i, n, s, x)) and glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1; (e, j, o, t, y)) label astrocytic processes with intense or diffuse immunoreactivity observed. Discrete astrocytic territories could be observed with these markers (h–j). Occasional Cx43-immunoreactivity was observed in the cell body of astrocytes (m). Astrocytes and/or their processes immunolabelled with GFAP, ALDH1L1, Cx43 and AQP4 were observed in the frontal white matter (p–s). GLT-1-immunopositive astrocytes or processes were not observed in the white matter (t). Astrocytes immunolabelled with each marker were observed close to blood vessels in the grey and white matter (u–y). Scale bar in a = 500 μm (applies b–e); 20 μm in f (applies g–t); 50 μm in u (applies v–y)