Fig 1. Nef expression in the rat hippocampus disrupts blood-brain-barrier integrity.

(A) BBB permeability was assessed by injecting EB dye into the tail vein and measuring dye extravasation into the brain tissue. Nef-treated rats showed increased BBB permeability compared to GFP-treated rats. Two whole representative brains for GFP and Nef-treated rats were shown; the infusion was notable in the right hemisphere with increased staining in the Nef group. (B) Immunofluorescence of the tight junction protein claudin-5 (green) and nuclei (blue) confirmed BBB disruption (red arrows) in Nef rats. N = 9 to 10 rats per group. Scale bars indicate 15 μm. Student’s t-test was performed to determine differences between the Nef-treated group and the GFP-treated group (control). Error bars represent the means ± S.E.M.