A comparison of intermediate filament markers for presumptive astroglia in the developing rat neocortex: immunostaining against nestin reveals more detail, than GFAP or vimentin

The present study compares the immunopositive elements in the developing rat cortex between the day of birth (P0) and the 18th postnatal day (P18), after immunostaining against nestin, vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Nestin immunostaining revealed more structural details than either vimentin or GFAP, or they together. While vimentin immunostaining preferred radial glia and GFAP preferred astrocytes, nestin immunostaining detected both. Stellate-shaped astrocyte-like cells were already seen at P0 and cells of typical astrocytic morphology were numerous at P3, and were predominating elements from P7, whereas GFAP-immunopositive astrocytes were very scarce even at P7, and became numerous only by P11, when nestin immunopositivity started to disappear. Nestin immunostaining revealed such structures which were not seen in GFAP- or vimentin immunostained sections: cell body-like structures 'hanging' at the end the radial fibers, seeming to divide with their fibers, or having astrocyte-like processes. Nestin immunostaining is therefore highly recommended for studies of the glial architecture in the early post-natal brain development.