Fig. 2
Haplodeficiency in the CAV1 gene activates macroglial and microglial cells in the retina. The expression of GFAP (A and C), a marker of macroglial activation, CD74 (B and E), a marker of microglial activation, and Cav-1 (A and D) in the 8-month-old Cav-1+/+ and Cav-1+/− retinas were analyzed by immunoblotting. γ-tubulin served as a loading control. Representative images (A and B) as well as quantifications obtained by pixel density assessments are shown. n = 6. Representative immunofluorescence images show the astrocyte coverage in Cav-1+/+ and Cav-1+/− retinas and arrowheads show the endfeet of Müller cells (F). Quantification of the number of astrocytes coverage (G). n = 3. Scale bar 50 µm. H shows representative confocal z-stack topographical analysis images by immunofluorescence staining for GFAP in 8-month-old Cav-1+/+ and Cav-1+/− retinas with Lectin staining showing S: superficial, M: middle and D: deep capillary layers. Quantification of the length of the GFAP positive cells penetrating into the deep capillary layer in retinas (I). n = 3. Scale bar 50 µm. Representative immunofluorescence images (J) show the microglial cell coverage from Cav-1+/+ and Cav-1+/− retinas in the superficial (K) and deep capillary (L) layers. n = 3. Scale bar 50 µm. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01