Figure 11.

Vessels and GFAP-ir glia in the mouse colon. The vessels were painted by WGA (cyan) and glial cells were immunostained by GFAP (red). Samples in (A–F) were from the mid-colon, and the sample in G–I was from the proximal colon. (A, B) GFAP-ir glia in the submucosal plexus (A) and myenteric plexus (B). The capillaries did not enter either of the plexuses. (C) GFAP-ir fibers surrounded vessels in the submucosa. (D–F) WGA-GFAP double labeling in the mucosa. (D) At the bottom of mucosal crypts; (E) capillary rings (WGA) near the lumen, no GFAP labeling found. (F) the red channel shows GFAP negative. (G–I) Portion of a mucosal fold from the proximal colon with WGA-painted microvessels and GFAP immunoreactive glial cells and processes. GFAP glia were not distributed around microvessels.