[Morphological types of activated microglia in the hippocampus observed following transient total brain ischemia]

The aim of the study was to evaluate, by using immunohistochemistry (demonstration of Iba-1 protein), the morphological features of the rat hippocampal microglia and to describe its cellular types during the response to a single total brain ischemia of 12 min duration. The results obtained suggest the existence of several morphologic types of microgliocytes in the intact hippocampus, while some more types appear in response to ischemic lesion of neurons. These changes in general population of the hippocampal microgliocytes is related to their functional activation. During the post-ischemic period (3, 7 and 14 days following the challenge), there appeared multiple micro-outgrowths of the microglial cell processes, which suggests the enhancement of their interaction with surrounding cellular elements and may be the manifestation of the process of the elimination of neuropil lesioned synaptic structures.