Human Amniotic Fluid Cells Form Functional Gap Junctions with Cortical Cells

Figure 9

Gap junctions between AF cells and astrocytes following cell implantation into the injured motor cortex. (a) Stitched confocal image of mouse brain after motor cortex injury and receiving AF-DsRed (red) cell implant. Immunohistochemistry shows the distribution of Cx43 protein (green) at the interface between the graft and injured host tissue. (b) A higher magnification of the implant confirmed that AF-DsRed cells could be easily traced in the injured brain. (c)-(d) Intense Cx43 expression (green) was observed at the site of implantation. More specifically, distinct Cx43 immunostaining was detected at the junction between AF-DsRed (red) and cortical cells (see arrows). Hoechst was used as a counter stain (blue). All the sections were coronal. Scale bars: 1000 μm (a), 100 μm (b), 50 μm (c), 7 μm (d).