Extended Data Fig. 9: Ca²⁺ influx during ischaemia disrupts IP-TNT-mediated ICWs, and the Ca²⁺ blocker nifedipine protects IP-TNTs.

a–c, Imaging of NG2–GCaMP6 mouse retinas showed that transient retinal ischaemia triggered a significant increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ in pericytes and their IP-TNTs relative to those in sham-operated controls (sham: n = 114 pericytes/IP-TNTs, n = 3 mice; ischaemia: n = 70 pericytes/IP-TNTs, n = 3 mice, two-tailed Mann–Whitney U test, ***P < 0.001). d–f, The frequency of ICWs between IP-TNT-coupled pericytes was markedly reduced in ischaemic retinas relative to sham controls (in f, sham: n = 24 capillaries, n = 4 mice; ischaemia: n = 20 capillaries, n = 4 mice; two-tailed Mann–Whitney U test, **P = 0.007). g–i, A single intraocular injection of the Ca²⁺ channel blocker nifedipine (30 μM), before ischaemia, was sufficient to lower intrapericyte Ca²⁺ (g, h; in h, vehicle: n = 90 pericytes, n = 4 mice; nifedipine: n = 49 pericytes, n = 4 mice; two-tailed Mann–Whitney U test, ***P < 0.001) and reduce the number of ruptured IP-TNTs (vehicle: n = 5 mice; nifedipine: n = 4 mice; two-tailed Student’s t-test, *P = 0.039; i). Data are presented as mean values ± s.e.m.

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