151. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactivity in astrocytes of the human brain
- Author
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Glauco Ambrosi, Mirella Bertossi, Anna Rizzi, Mariella Errede, Daniela Virgintino, Vincenzo Benagiano, Eugenio Maiorano, and Luisa Roncali
- Subjects
Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,education.field_of_study ,General Neuroscience ,Vasoactive intestinal peptide ,Population ,Central nervous system ,Brain ,Human brain ,Biology ,Immunohistochemistry ,White matter ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Endocrinology ,Internal medicine ,Astrocytes ,Forebrain ,medicine ,Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ,Neuroglia ,Humans ,education ,hormones, hormone substitutes, and hormone antagonists ,Astrocyte ,Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide - Abstract
Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactive (VIP-LIR) astrocytes were found in the subcortical white matter of the human forebrain parietal lobe. Astrocytes expressing VIP-LIR represented a minority (0.97%) of the GFAP-stained astrocyte population in the white matter. The close anatomical relationship between the VIP-LIR astrocyte bodies and processes and the brain vasculature strongly suggests that they may play a role in the local control of blood flow and of the barrier properties of the vessel walls.