Gap Junctions in the Composition of Neurogliovascular Ensembles in Rat Cortical Barrel Columns

Complex morphological study of gap junctions (GJs) in the blood–brain barrier in the rat cortical barrel columns using light and transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry showed that astrocytes united by GJs in a single network can act as the main mediator between neurons and the vascular bed, forming a complex of neurogliovascular ensembles. The possibility of using such complexes to determine the functional organization of cortical columns is discussed.