Combined conventional transmission, scanning, and high-voltage electron microscopy of the same blood vessel for the study of targeted inflammatory cells in blood-brain barrier inflammation.

The microvasculature of brains and spinal cords from mice subjected to chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (CREAE) was studied using three different electron microscopic techniques. Blood vessels were initially examined by scanning electron microscopy. This allowed for the investigation of topographical changes of the luminal aspects of endothelial cells (ECs) and identification of targeted inflammatory cells (ICs) attached to the ECs. The same blood vessel areas with attached ICs examined by scanning electron microscopy were subsequently trimmed, processed for routine conventional transmission electron microscopy, and plastic embedded. Thin (80 nm) sections were cut and evaluated. Semithick (0.5-0.75 microns) serial sections of this material were examined by high-voltage electron microscopy. Data presented here described a useful technique for combining several ultrastructural techniques that permits simultaneous topographic and cross-sectional examination of selected regions of individual blood vessels or specifically targeted ICs.