The development of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells and the appearance of laminin-like immunoreactivity in fetal olfactory bulb transplants.

Embryonic rat olfactory bulbs were transplanted into the site vacated by aspiration of an olfactory bulb from a neonatal rat. This paper presents our findings related to the development of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positive (+ve) glial cells and the appearance of laminin-like immunoreactivity in these transplants. The GFAP+ve glial cells formed perivascular end-feet on the invading vasculature and formed a glia limitans along the pial surface of the transplant. This reconstituted glia limitans was continuous with that of the host brain, there being no glia limitans at the donor-host interface. Thus, the donor tissue was well-integrated with that of the host brain.