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Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Immune Cells from the Ischemic Mouse Brain
Published on: February 12, 2016
Brain dendritic cells in ischemic stroke: time course, activation state, and origin
Jennifer C Felger1, Takato Abe, Ulrike W Kaunzner
1Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
|November 17, 2009
Summary
Brain dendritic cells (DCs) accumulate in stroke-affected brain regions, with resident DCs populating the infarct border and showing increased immune markers, suggesting a role in the immune response to stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Cerebrovascular disease research
- Innate and adaptive immunity
Background:
- The immune response to stroke involves complex inflammatory and regulatory processes.
- Dendritic cells (DCs) are key immune cells involved in both innate and adaptive immunity.
- A specific population of dendritic cells (DCs) resides within the healthy brain (bDC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the involvement of brain-resident dendritic cells (bDCs) in the immune response following cerebral ischemia (stroke).
- To differentiate between resident and infiltrating DCs in the ischemic brain.
- To assess the activation status and potential function of bDCs post-stroke.
Main Methods:
- Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in CD11c/EYFP transgenic mice to induce focal cerebral ischemia.
- Analysis of DC accumulation and location at various reperfusion time points (6, 24, 72 hours) using immunocytochemistry.
- Generation and analysis of radiation bone marrow chimeras to distinguish between resident and peripheral DCs.
- Flow cytometry analysis of brain-resident cells to evaluate major histocompatibility class II (MHC II) and co-stimulatory molecule expression on bDCs.
Main Results:
- Dendritic cells (DCs) accumulated in the ischemic hemisphere 24 hours post-MCAO, particularly at the infarct border where T lymphocytes were also found.
- Radiation chimera experiments confirmed that DCs in the infarct core were of peripheral origin, while those at the border were primarily resident bDCs.
- Following MCAO-reperfusion, brain-resident DCs (bDCs) exhibited increased expression of MHC II and co-stimulatory molecules (e.g., CD80) compared to microglia.
- Peak expression of MHC II and CD80 on bDCs at 72 hours correlated with significant lymphocyte infiltration, suggesting a functional role.
Conclusions:
- Resident brain dendritic cells (bDCs) are recruited to the infarct border region following ischemic stroke.
- These bDCs become activated, upregulating immune-stimulatory molecules, and likely interact with infiltrating lymphocytes.
- The findings highlight the significant role of brain-resident immune cells, specifically bDCs, in orchestrating the immune response to stroke.
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