Summary
Capillaries, pericytes and microglial cells in layer I of the cerebral cortex of normal adult cats have been studied with electron microscopy. The data obtained in this study show that pericytes are cells which are able to transform themselves into microglial cells by virtue of an activation process in which the astrocytic neuroglia appears to play a decisive role. By virtue of its structure, its mesodermic origin and its function the microglia has to be distinguished clearly from the astrocytic neuroglia and the oligodendroglia.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aguirre, C.: Personal Communication (1971).
Bodian, D.: An electron microscopic study of the monkey spinal cord. Johns Hopk. med. J. 114, 13–119 (1964).
Brightman, M. W., Reese, T. S.: Junctions between intimately apposed cell membranes in the vertebrate brain. J. Cell Biol. 40, 648–677 (1969).
Caley, D. W., Maxwell, D. S.: Development of the blood vessels and extracellular spaces during postnatal maturation of rat cerebral cortex. J. comp. Neurol. 138, 31–48 (1970).
Donahue, S., Pappas, G. D.: The fine structure of capillaries in the cerebral cortex of the rat at various stages of development. Amer. J. Anat. 108, 331–347 (1961).
Eager, R., Eager, P.: Glial responses to degenerating cerebellar cortico-nuclear pathways in the cat. Science 153, 553–554 (1966).
Herdorn, R. M.: The fine structure of the rat cerebellum. II. The stellate neurons, granule cells and glia. J. Cell Biol. 23, 277–293 (1964).
Hills, C. P.: Ultrastructural changes in the capillary bed of the rat cerebral cortex in anoxic ischemic brain lesions. Amer. J. Path. 44, 531–551 (1964).
Jones, E. G., Powell, T. P. S.: Electron microscopy of the somatic sensory cortex of the cat. II. The fine structure of layers I and II. Phil. Trans. B 257, 13–21 (1970).
King, J. S.: A light and electron microscopy study of perineuronal glial cells and processes in the rabbit neocortex. Anat. Rec. 161, 111–124 (1968).
Konigsmark, B. W., Sidman, R. L.: Origin of brain macrophages in the mouse. J. Neuropath. expt. Neurol. 22, 643–676 (1963).
Luft, J. H.: Improvements in epoxy resin embedding methods. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 9, 409–414 (1961).
Maxwell, D. S., Kruger, L.: Small blood vessels and the origin of phagocytes in the rat cerebral cortex following heavy particle irradiation. Exp. Neurol. 12, 33–54 (1965).
Maynard, E. A., Schultz, R. L., Pease, D. C.: Electron microscopy of the vascular bed of the rat cerebral cortex. Amer. J. Anat. 100, 409–433 (1957).
Mori, S., Leblond, C. P.: Identification of microglia in light and electron microscopy. J. comp. Neurol. 135, 57–79 (1969).
Moya Rodríguez, J.: Beitrag zur Kenntnis einer besonderen Endformation der perivasculären Glia. Z. mikr.-anat. Forsch. 82, 341–348 (1970).
Ramón y Cajal, S.: Contribución al conocimiento de la neuroglia del cerebro humano. Trab. Lab. Invest. Biol. Univ. Madrid 11, 255–315 (1913).
Ramón y Cajal, S.: Algunas consideraciones sobre la mesoglia de Robertson y Rio Hortega. Trab. Lab. Invest. Biol. Univ. Madrid 18, 109–127 (1920).
Rio Hortega, P. del: Noticia de un nuevo y fácil método para la coloración de la neuroglia y del tejido conectivo. Trab. Lab. Invest. Biol. Univ. Madrid 15, 367–368 (1917).
Rio Hortega, P. del: El tercer elemento de los centros nerviosos. I. La microglía en estado normal. II. Intervención de la microglía en los procesos patológicos. III. Naturaleza probable de la microglía. Bol. Soc. esp. Biol. 9, 69–120 (1919).
Rio Hortega, P. del: La microglía y su transformación en células en bastoncito y en cuerpos gránuloadiposos. Trab. Lab. Invest. Biol. Univ. Madrid 18, 37–82 (1920).
Rio Hortega, P. del: Estudios sobre la neuroglia. La glía de escasas radiaciones (oligodendroglia). Bol. Real Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat. 21, 64–92 (1921 a).
Rio Hortega, P. del: El tercer elemento de los centros nerviosos: histogénesis y evolución normal; éxodo y distribución regional de la microglia. Mem. Real Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat. 11, 213–268 (1921 b).
Rio Hortega, P. del: Lo que debe entenderse por tercer elemento de los centros nerviosos. Bol. Soc. esp. Biol. 11, 33–35 (1924).
Rio Hortega, P. del, Penfield, W.: Cerebral cicatrix. The reaction of neuroglia and microglia to brain wounds. Bull. Johns Hopk. Hosp. 41, 278–303 (1927).
Robain, O.: Gliogenèse postnatale chez le lapin. J. Neurol. Sci. 11 445–461 (1970).
Robertson: A microscopic demonstration of the normal and pathological histology of mesoglia-cells. J. ment. Sci. (Citado por Ramón y Cajal, 1920) (1900).
Russel, G. V.: The compound granular corpuscle or gitter cell: A review, together with notes on the origin of this phagocyte. Tex. Rep. Biol. Med. 20, 338–351 (1962).
Schultz, R. L., Pease, D. C.: Cicatrix formation in rat cerebral cortex as revealed by electron microscopy. Amer. J. Path. 35, 1017–1041 (1959).
Stensaas, L. J., Stensaas, S. S.: Astrocytic neuroglial cells oligodendrocytes and microgliacytes in the spinal cord of the toad. II. Electron microscopy. Z. Zellforsch. 86, 184–213 (1968).
Thompson, R. F., Johnson, R. H., Hoopes, J. J.: Organization of auditory, somatic sensory, and visual projection to association fields of cerebral cortex in the cat. J. Neurophysiol. 26, 333–378 (1963).
Valenzuela, J.: Névroglie Mésodermique. Etude histologique et histochimique de la névroglie du cerveau. Acta histochem. (Jena) 36, 129–144 (1970).
Zimmermann, K. W.: Der feinere Bau der Blutkapillaren. Z. Anat. Entwickl.-Gesch. 68, 29–109 (1923).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was partly supported by a grant from the Seguridad Social, Instituto Nacional de Previsión.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barón, M., Gallego, A. The relation of the microglia with the pericytes in the cat cerebral cortex. Z.Zellforsch 128, 42–57 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306887
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306887