Microglia Stimulation by Protein Extract of Injured Rat Spinal Cord. A Novel In vitro Model for Studying Activated Microglia

This study introduces a new way to mimic the environment of a spinal cord after injury in the lab. By adding a protein extract from injured spinal cords to microglial cultures, researchers can observe how these cells respond to the injury signals. The study found that microglia, when exposed to this extract, change their behavior. They develop longer, less branched processes and start to multiply. This suggests they are becoming more active in response to the injury signals. Furthermore, the microglia start producing more pro-inflammatory substances and become more efficient at phagocytosis. This indicates they are shifting towards a pro-inflammatory state, similar to what is observed in the spinal cord after an actual injury.

• 1
  SCI lysate stimulation leads to upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and downregulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and IL-4) in microglia.
• 2
  SCI lysate increases the phagocytic capacity of microglia, as demonstrated by a latex beads phagocytosis assay.
• 3
  Microglia exposed to SCI lysate exhibit a pro-inflammatory phenotype, similar to that observed in vivo after spinal cord contusion injury.