Fig 1: MSC-Exo and astrocytes characterization, nanoparticles tracking. (A) Western blots of protein expression in exosomes generated from the umbilical cord. (B) A representative TEM scanning image presents the morphology of MSC-Exo (arrowheads). (C) Size distribution of isolated MSC-Exo is shown in the graph on the right. (D) Cultured primary hippocampal astrocytes double-stained with the fluorescent antibody against Iba1 (D1, microglial marker, green) and GFAP (D2, astroglial marker, red). (E) Pie chart of cell samples composition. (F-G) Representative images showing the incorporation of MSC-Exo in vitro (F) and in vivo (G). Areas in squares are presented on the right at higher magnification (F1 and G1). MSC-Exo nanoparticles (red) in the soma and processes of GFAP+ (F1) or s100+ (G1)-stained astrocytes (arrowheads). (H) The histogram of the exosome uptake measured as the fluorescence intensity in primary cultured astrocytes (in vitro) and the hippocampus (in vivo). Scale bars: B, 200 nm; D = 50µm; D1 and D2, 25µm; F and G, 20µm; F1 and G1, 5µm.