Microglial activation occurs in the absence of anxiety-like behavior following microembolic stroke in female, but not male, rats.
BACKGROUND
The incidence of depression and anxiety disorders is twice as high in women than men; however, females exhibit less neuronal damage following an equivalent ischemic event. Microembolic stroke increases anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in male rats but the behavioral repercussions in females are unknown.


RESULTS
Given the relative neuronal protection from stroke in ovary-intact females, female rats exposed to microembolic stroke may be behaviorally protected as compared to males. The data presented demonstrate that anxiety-like behavior is increased in males despite a comparable increase in microglial activation following microembolic stroke in both males and females.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that males may be more behaviorally susceptible to the effects of microembolic stroke and further illustrate a dissociation between neuroinflammation and behavior in females.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. clnemet@emory.edu.|Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. clnemet@emory.edu.
Christina L
CL
Nemeth
Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. rreddy8@emory.edu.
Renuka
R
Reddy
Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. mandakh.bekhbat@emory.edu.
Mandakh
M
Bekhbat
Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. jbailey07@gmail.com.
Jabari
J
Bailey
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. gretchen.neigh@emory.edu.|Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. gretchen.neigh@emory.edu.
Gretchen N
GN
Neigh
D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D020521:Stroke / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology