Contrary to the venular mural cell degeneration observed previously in TgCRND8 mouse model in mid-stage of AD16, neither arterioles nor venules of TgF344-AD rats exhibited significant degeneration of mural cells as assessed using desmin, α-SMA, PDGFRβ, or NG2 at this stage of disease progression. This evidence concerns the gene DES and Alzheimer disease.