Fig. 2

Immunofluorescence microscopical analysis of von Willebrand factor in normal versus mdx-4cv brain. Shown is the immunofluorescence labelling of brain sections using an antibody to von Willebrand factor (vWF) in wild type a versus mdx-4cv b cortex. Dot-like staining patterns are seen in both normal and mdx-4cv brain sections and represent Weibel-Palade bodies [61] that function as intracellular storage organelles for vWF molecules in the vessel endothelium. The mdx-4cv brain shows also a large number of string-like structures that contain vWF molecules, which is indicative of structural alterations, vascular damage and inflammatory processes at the blood-tissue interface in the mdx-4cv brain. Bar equals 10 μm