In vivo single microglial cell isolation after intracerebral hemorrhage in mice

Failure to translate promising potential therapeutics for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) partially results from limited understanding of cellular mechanisms underlying brain injury and repair. Understanding neural repair mechanisms after brain injury requires intricate comprehension of microglial behavior; however, studying individual microglial cell behavior is challenging. Further single cell isolation techniques may be an excellent means to expand known differences in male and female microglial cell response to ICH. In this study, 24 h after intrastriatal collagenase injection, one male and one female CX3CR1-GFP mouse underwent ex vivo microglial cell isolation via micropipette from perihematomal regions and equivalent location of contralateral striata. After cell collection, individual and grouped cell samples underwent reverse transcription and analyses for gene expression using Fluidigm RT-PCR technology. Data were analyzed by t-tests and visualized as a heatmap of the log2 Ct values. Gene expression assays were chosen for target-specific amplification, including markers of M1 pro-inflammatory microglial phenotype (i.e., Tnf, Il6, Fcgr3/CD16), M2 anti-inflammatory markers (i.e., Mrc1/CD206, Arg1, Tgfb1), and genes involved in the toll-like receptor pathway (i.e., Tlr2, Tlr4 and Myd88). Greater number of individual microglia cells expressed Mcr1, Tlr2, and Arg1 in perihematomal tissue than in contralateral hemispheres. Additionally, more male microglia expressed Myd88, Tlr2, Il6, and Arg1 than did female microglia. Single cell microglial isolation is feasible after in vivo rodent ICH. Differential gene expression can be detected between individual cells from different brain regions and experimental conditions. Cell-specific analyses will contribute to improved understanding of microglial roles in both post-ICH pathogenesis and recovery.