title: Macrophage colony stimulating factor promotes phagocytosis by murine microglia.
abstract: Macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and its receptor are upregulated in the brain in Alzheimer's disease. M-CSF induces activation and proliferation of microglial cells and expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Amyloid beta (Abeta) immunization experiments suggest that microglia have the capacity to aggressively clear Abeta from the brain under certain circumstances. We examined the role of M-CSF in phagocytosis of fluorescent microspheres and Abeta by cultured microglia. M-CSF treatment increased microglial cell phagocytosis of both microspheres and of Abeta. Antibody neutralization of M-CSF inhibited Abeta uptake induced by overexpression of the M-CSF receptor on microglia. These results suggest that M-CSF could be important in promoting microglial clearance of abnormal protein aggregates such as Abeta.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5485, USA.
authors.forename: Olivera M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Mitrasinovic
authors.forename: Valerie A M
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simsek
authors.forename: Greer M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D017628:Microglia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008863:Microspheres; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C078592:amyloid beta-protein (1-40); D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor