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Three-dimensional Confocal Analysis of Microglia/macrophage Markers of Polarization in Experimental Brain Injury
Published on: September 4, 2013
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Quantitative microglia analyses reveal diverse morphologic responses in the rat cortex after diffuse brain injury
Helena Morrison1, Kimberly Young2, Mahir Qureshi3
1University of Arizona, College of Nursing, 1305 N. Martin Ave, P.O. Box 210203, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. hmorriso@email.arizona.edu.
Scientific Reports
|October 18, 2017
Summary
Microglia, the brain immune cells, change shape after diffuse brain injury. These distinct morphological changes in microglia reveal widespread alterations in brain physiology following injury.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Brain Injury Research
Background:
- Diffuse brain injury poses challenges in identifying affected brain regions.
- Microglia constantly monitor brain parenchyma, altering morphology when dysfunction is detected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize spatiotemporal changes in microglia morphology after rat midline fluid percussion injury (mFPI).
- To establish microglia morphology as a potential indicator of altered brain physiology post-injury.
Main Methods:
- Quantified microglia morphology using Image J skeleton and fractal analysis on histological sections.
- Analyzed changes at three time points and three regions: impact site, primary somatosensory cortex barrel field (S1BF), and a remote region.
- Assessed microglia ramification, process length, endpoints, and complexity.
Main Results:
- Microglia ramification decreased at the impact site and S1BF, but not in the remote region.
- Microglia complexity decreased in the S1BF and increased in the remote region.
- Rod-shaped microglia were observed in the S1BF.
Conclusions:
- Diffuse brain injury induces diverse and widespread changes in cortical microglia morphology.
- Altered microglia morphology likely reflects significant changes in brain physiology and neuronal function.
