[The microglia activation characteristics of MA-induced neurotoxicity in the rats striatum].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the activation characteristics of microglia (MG) in the rats striatum with MA-induced neurotoxicity.


METHODS
Male Wistar rats were divided randomly into control group (n=24) and experimental group (n=24). The rats of experimental group were injected intraperitoneally with MA (15 mg/kg x 8 injections, at 12 hours interval). The rats of control group were administrated with saline. The tissues of striatum of two rat groups were harvested at 0.5 d, 1 d, 2 d, 3 d, 4 d, 5 d, 6 d and 7 d post initial administrations of MA or saline. The structure changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy and CD-11b immunohistochemistry. The ratio of activated MG was calculated and statistically analyzed.


RESULTS
In the control group, the morphological characteristics of the MG showed that the cell bodies were small with slender processes, high electronic density nucleus, and fewer organelles known as the "fork-type". In contrast, the MG in the MA-induced neurotoxicity group displayed larger cell body, shorter cell processes or disappeared, lower electronic density nucleus and rich organelles, resembling "bush-like" or "amoeba-like". The ratio of activated MG in control group was below 0.15 at all timepoints, whereas in the experimental group, the ratio of activated MG increased significantly from day 1 to day 7 (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The continuous MA stimulation of the CNS results in prominent MG activation.
Qiao
Dong-Fang
DF
Department of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Li
Yan-Hong
YH
Tan
Xiao-Hui
XH
Wang
Hui-Jun
HJ
D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013997:Time Factors
D008694:Methamphetamine