Fig. 1

DREADD-induced astrocytic activation increases blood flow in the adult OB. (A) Experimental outline. (B) Fluorescent images in the GL. GFAP (green), mCherry (red). (C) A representative two-photon image in the GL. Blood vessels were visualized by intravenous injection of fluorescein dextran (green). GFAP-hM3Dq-mCherry (red). (D, E) Percentage of blood flow change after CNO administration in the GL in control (D) and DREADD (E) groups. Friedmann’s test followed by Bonferroni test was used to analyze 30 vessels from 3 mice (10, 11 and 9 vessels from each mouse) (D), and 31 vessels from 4 mice (6, 10, 6 and 9 vessels from each mouse) (E). Each data is shown as gray bars in the graphs. (F) Representative fluorescent images in the GL of the OB before and after CNO administration. Red blood cell (RBC) flow was recorded as two-photon line-scan images from a vessel indicated by white arrows shown in magnified images (F’). GFAP-GCaMp6f (green), rhodamine-B dextran (red). Rhodamine-B dextran signals were distinguished from GFAP-hM3Dq-mCherry signals by their shape and brightness. (G) Representative data showing the relationship between GCaMP6f signal intensity change and regional RBC flow change. (H) The correlation between percentage of regional blood flow change and GCaMP6f signal intensity change in the imaging area. Pearson’s test was used to analyze 32 events obtained from multiple time points from 4 mice (8, 12, 6 and 6 events from each mouse)