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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Biomed Eng. 2014 Jun 2;16:505–532. doi: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-071813-104908

Table 1.

Representative values of GCX thickness derived from a variety of techniques (adapted from 33)

Setting(s) Microscopic visualization GCX fixation GCX marker(s) Species and vessel/cell type GCX thickness (μm) Reference
In vivo and ex vivo TEM Glut RR Mouse diaphragmatic capillary 0.02 139
TEM Glut Fluorocarbon Rat capillary 0.05–0.10 34
IM No fixation FITC dextran-labeled plasma Hamster muscle capillarya 0.40–0.50 35
μ-PIV No fixation Fluorescent microspheres in saline Mouse cremaster venulesb 0.50 140
TEM Glut/PFA Alcian blue and lanthanum Rat aorta 0.53 141
TEM Glut Lanthanum HUVEC 0.80 142
IM No fixation FITC dextran-labeled plasma Rat small arteriesc 2.00–3.00 143
TPLSM No fixation WGA-FITC Mouse carotid arteries 4.50 44
CLSM No fixation Anti-HS tagged with HABP-AF555 and -AF488 Mouse carotid arteries 2.20–4.30 46
In vitro TEM Glut RR MCMVEC 0.00–0.20 144
TEM Glut RR HDMVEC 0.01–0.02 144
TEM Glut RR BLMVEC 0.01–0.03 144
μ-PIV No fixation Fluorescent microspheres in media HUVECd 0.03 140
μ-PIV No fixation Fluorescent microspheres in media BAECe 0.02 140
TEM Glut Lanthanum HUVEC 0.03 142
TEM Glut RR BAEC 0.02–0.04 145
TEM Glut Alcian blue CiGEnC 0.20 146
TEM Glut/PFA Alcian blue and lanthanum HAEC 0.85 141
CLSM PFA Fluorescent anti-HS RFPEC 2.00f 73
CLSM No fixation WGA-FITC HUVEC 2.50 39
CLSM PFA HABP-FITC and fluorescent anti-HS BLMVEC 2.00–3.00 40

Abbreviations: μ-PIV, microparticle image velocimetry; AF555, Alexa Fluor 555; AF488, Alexa Fluor 488; BAEC, bovine aortic EC; BLMVEC, bovine lung microvascular EC; BLMVEC, bovine luteal microvascular EC; CiGEnC, conditionally immortalized human glomerular EC; CLSM, confocal laser scanning microscopy; EC, endothelial cells; FITC, fluorescein isothiocyanate; glut, glutaraldehyde; HABP, hyaluronic acid–binding protein; HAEC, human aortic ECs; HDMVEC, human dermal microvascular EC; HS, heparan sulfate; HUVEC, human umbilical vein EC; IM, intravital microscopy; MCMVEC, murine cardiac microvascular EC; PFA, paraformaldehyde; RFPEC, rat fat pad EC; RR, ruthenium red; TEM, transmission electron microscopy; TPLSM, two-photon laser scanning microscopy; WGA, wheat germ agglutinin.

a

5.1 ± 0.1 μm diameter.

b

45 ± 20 μm diameter.

c

148 ± 5 μm diameter.

d

Cells were plated in collagen channels of ~110–150-μm diameter.

e

Cells were plated in collagen channels of ~88–109-μm diameter.

f

GCX thickness was not reported in the publication but was obtained in reference to the scale bar and relative to the cell dimensions.