Figure 1.

Anatomical features of the NVU and MEPs. (a) Electron micrograph depicting astrocytic endfeet (EF) enveloping a parenchymal arteriole with a single layer of SMCs and underlying ECs. Adjacent to the endfeet is the brain parenchyma (P) containing neuronal and astrocytic processes. Scale bar: 10 µm. (b) A MEP site through a fenestration in the internal elastic lamina (IEL) between an EC and SMC in a human parenchymal arteriole. Black arrowheads indicate a myoendothelial gap junction. Scale bar: 250 nm. Reproduced with permission from Aydin et al.³³