Fli-1 levels are increased and pericyte number is decreased in the hippocampus from postmortem brains of AD patients
(A) RNAs were isolated from 100 mg brain hippocampal or superior temporal tissue from human donors with AD (n = 11) and cognitively normal controls (n = 8), and Fli-1 mRNA levels were determined by RT-PCR. (B) Representative fluorescence images of brain hippocampus stained for Fli-1 (green) and nuclei (DAPI, blue) in human donors with AD (n = 10) and cognitively normal controls (n = 10). Scale bar: 60 μm. Fli-1 levels were analyzed. (C) Representative fluorescence images of brain hippocampus stained for Fli-1 (green), pericytes (CD13, red), and nuclei (DAPI, blue) in human donors with AD (n = 10) and cognitively normal controls (n = 10). Scale bar: 60 μm. Representative Fli-1+ pericytes are indicated by arrows, and Fli-1+ pericyte numbers were analyzed. (D) Representative fluorescence images of brain hippocampus stained for pericytes (CD13, red) and nuclei (DAPI, blue) in human donors with AD (n = 10) and cognitively normal controls (n = 10). Scale bar: 60 μm. CD13+ pericyte numbers were analyzed. (E) Representative fluorescence images of brain hippocampus stained for active caspase-3 (green), pericytes (CD13, red), and nuclei (DAPI, blue) in human donors with AD (n = 10) and cognitively normal controls (n = 10). Scale bar: 60 μm. Representative active caspase-3+ pericytes are indicated by arrows, and active caspase-3+ pericyte numbers were analyzed. Data are expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean. ∗p < 0.05 compared with CON group. CON, control; AD, Alzheimer's disease.