title: Microglial activation in a neuroinflammational animal model of schizophrenia--a pilot study.
abstract: Inflammatory and immunological processes interfering with brain development are discussed as one cause of schizophrenia. Various signs of overactivation of the immune system were often found in this disease. Based on post-mortem analysis showing an increased number of activated microglial cells in patients with schizophrenia, it can be hypothesized that these cells contribute to disease pathogenesis and may actively be involved in gray matter loss observed in such patients. In the present study, PolyI:C incubation of pregnant dams was used as animal model of schizophrenia, and the number and shape of microglia were assessed in the offspring in the early phase of this disease, using fluorescence immunostaining (Iba1). Descendants of mice exposed to PolyI:C at embryonic day 9 showed higher number of microglial cells in the hippocampus and striatum, but not in the frontal cortex at postnatal day 30, which is similarly to adolescence in man, as compared to those exposed to saline. Furthermore, offspring microglia from PolyI:C treated mothers were morphologically characterized by a reduced arborization indicative for a status of higher activation compared to the offspring microglia from vehicle treated mice. This study supports the hypothesis that maternal infection during embryogenesis contributes to microglial activation in the offspring, which may therefore represent a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and underlines the need for new pharmacological treatment options in this regard.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, LWL University Hospital, Germany. georg.juckel@wkp-lwl.org
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Juckel
authors.forename: Marie Pierre
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Manitz
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brüne
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Friebe
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Heneka
authors.forename: Rainer J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D039481:CD11b Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D040502:Calgranulin B / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000633:toxicity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: C491049:Aif1 protein, mouse; D039481:CD11b Antigen; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D040502:Calgranulin B; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D011070:Poly I-C