• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.70-78
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• 2014

Microglia are the confined immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). In response to injury or infection, microglia readily become activated and release proinflammatory mediators that are believed to contribute to microglia-mediated neurodegeneration. In the present study, inflammation was induced in the immortalized murine microglial cell line BV-2 by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. We firstly performed phosphoproteomics analysis and phosphoinositide lipidomics analysis with LPS activated microglia in order to compare phosphorylation patterns in active and inactive microglia and to detect the pattern of changes in phosphoinositide regulation upon activation of microglia. Mass spectrometry analysis of the phosphoproteome of the LPS treatment group compared to that of the untreated control group revealed a notable increase in the diversity of cellular phosphorylation upon LPS treatment. Additionally, a lipidomics analysis detected significant increases in the amounts of phosphoinositide species in the LPS treatment. This investigation could provide an insight for understanding molecular mechanisms underlying microglia-mediated neurodegenerative diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.397-402
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• 2014

Microglia are activated by inflammatory and pathophysiological stimuli in neurodegenerative diseases, and activated microglia induce neuronal damage by releasing cytotoxic factors like nitric oxide (NO). Activated microglia synthesize a significant amount of vitamin $D_3$ in the rat brain, and vitamin $D_3$ has an inhibitory effect on activated microglia. To investigate the possible role of vitamin $D_3$ as a negative regulator of activated microglia, we examined the effect of 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ on NO production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglia. Treatment with LPS increased the production of NO in primary cultured and BV2 microglial cells. Treatment with 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ inhibited the generation of NO in LPS-activated primary microglia and BV2 cells. In addition to NO production, expression of 1-${\alpha}$-hydroxylase and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) was also upregulated in LPS-stimulated primary and BV2 microglia. When BV2 cells were transfected with 1-${\alpha}$-hydroxylase siRNA or VDR siRNA, the inhibitory effect of 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ on activated BV2 cells was suppressed. 25-Hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ also inhibited the increased phosphorylation of p38 seen in LPS-activated BV2 cells, and this inhibition was blocked by VDR siRNA. The present study shows that 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ inhibits NO production in LPS-activated microglia through the mediation of LPS-induced 1-${\alpha}$-hydroxylase. This study also shows that the inhibitory effect of 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ on NO production might be exerted by inhibiting LPS-induced phosphorylation of p38 through the mediation of VDR signaling. These results suggest that vitamin $D_3$ might have an important role in the negative regulation of microglial activation.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.281-291
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• 2021

Tissue-resident macrophages play an important role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and innate immune defense against invading microbial pathogens. Brain-resident macrophages can be classified into microglia in the brain parenchyma and non-parenchymal brain macrophages, also known as central nervous system-associated or border-associated macrophages, in the brain-circulation interface. Microglia and non-parenchymal brain macrophages, including meningeal, perivascular, and choroid plexus macrophages, are mostly produced during embryonic development, and maintained their population by self-renewal. Microglia have gained much attention for their dual roles in the maintenance of brain homeostasis and the induction of neuroinflammation. In particular, diverse phenotypes of microglia have been increasingly identified under pathological conditions. Single-cell phenotypic analysis revealed that microglia are highly heterogenous and plastic, thus it is difficult to define the status of microglia as M1/M2 or resting/activated state due to complex nature of microglia. Meanwhile, physiological function of non-parenchymal brain macrophages remain to be fully demonstrated. In this review, we have summarized the origin and signatures of brain-resident macrophages and discussed the unique features of microglia, particularly, their phenotypic polarization, diversity of subtypes, and inflammasome responses related to neurodegenerative diseases.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.163-168
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• 2017

Microglia are the primary resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). They are the first line of defense of the brain's innate immune response against infection, injury, and diseases. Microglia respond to extracellular signals and engulf unwanted neuronal debris by phagocytosis, thereby maintaining normal cellular homeostasis in the CNS. Pathological stimuli such as neuronal injury induce transformation and activation of resting microglia with ramified morphology into a motile amoeboid form and activated microglia chemotax toward lesion site. This review outlines the current research on microglial activation and chemotaxis.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.77-84
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• 2015

Objectives : Brain inflammation early activates the microglia and activated microglia secrete a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Kaempferol, which is a flavonoid in Cuscutae Semen, shows a wide range of physiological activities, including neurons protection and anti-inflammatory actions through inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators. The present study examined the modulatory effect of kaempferol on cytokines [tumor necrosis factor- alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$), interleukin-1beta ($IL-1{\beta}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA expression and microglia activation in the brain tissue of the mouse. Methods : Kaempferol was administered orally three doses of 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg respectively, once 1 hour before the lippolysaccharide(LPS) (3 mg/kg, i.p.) injection. Brain tissue was removed at 4 hours after LPS injection. Cytokines and COX-2 mRNA expression in the brain tissue was measured by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Iba1 expression was calculated by western blotting method. Microglia was observed with immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry stained microglia was analyzed by using ImageJ software. Results : Kaempferol 20 and 30 mg/kg was significantly attenuated the expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$ and IL-6 mRNA. Kaempfrol 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg significantly attenuated COX-2 mRNA expression in the brain tissue. Kaempferol 30 mg/kg significantly suppressed the increase of Iba1 protein expression by LPS. Kaempferol 30 mg/kg significantly decreased the number of microglia in the cerebral cortex and the number and cell size of microglia in the hypothalamic region and the area percentage of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1(Iba1)-expressed microglia in the hippocampus. Conclusions : This results indicate that kaempferol plays an anti-inflammatory role in the brain.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2013

Microglia play a role in maintaining and resolving brain tissue homeostasis. In pathological conditions, microglia release pro-inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic factors, which aggravate the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Autophagy pathway might be involved in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic factors in microglia, though details of the mechanism remain largely unknown. In the present study, we examined the role of the autophagy pathway in activated BV2 microglia cells. In BV2 cells, rapamycin treatment activated the formation of anti-LC3-labeled autophagosomes, whereas the ATG5 depletion using siRNA-ATG5 prevented the formation of LC3-labeled autophagosomes, indicating that BV2 cells exhibit an active classical autophagy system. When treated with LPS, BV2 cells expressed an increase of anti-LC3-labeled dots. The levels of LC3-labeled dots were not suppressed, instead tended to be enhanced, by the inhibition of the autophagy pathway with siRNA-ATG5 or wortmannin, suggesting that LPS-induced LC3-labeled dots in nature were distinct from the typical autophagosomes. The levels of LPS-induced expression of iNOS and IL6 were suppressed by treatment with rapamycin, and conversely, their expressions were enhanced by siRNA-ATG5 treatment. Moreover, the activation of the autophagy pathway using rapamycin inhibited cell death of LPS-stimulated microglia. These results suggest that although microglia possess a typical autophagy pathway, the glial cells express a non-typical autophagy pathway in response to LPS, and the activation of the autophagy pathway suppresses the expression of iNOS and IL6, and the cell death of LPS-stimulated microglia.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.116-130
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• 2020

The aging society is globally one of biggest issue because it is related with various degenerative brain disease such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and cerebrovascular disease. These diseases are characterized by misfolded-protein aggregation; another pathological trait is "neuroinflammation". In physiological state, the resting microglia cells are activated and it removes abnormal synapses and cell membrane debris to maintain the homeostasis. In pathological state, however, microglia undergo morphological change form 'resting' to 'activated amoeboid phenotype' and the microglia cells are accumulated by neuronal damage, the inflammatory reactions induced nerve metamorphosis with a variety of neurotoxic factors including cytokines, chemokines, and reactive oxygen species. Thus, the activated microglia cell with various receptors (TSPO, COX, CR, P2XR, etc.) was perceived as important biomarkers for imaging the inflammatory progression. In this review, we would like to introduce the current status of the development of radiotracers that can image activated microglia.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.471-481
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• 2017

Objectives : Noemyeong-san (NMS) is a novel herbal prescription composed of five oriental medicinal herbs including Prunellae Spica, Betulae Cortex, Foeniculi Fructus, Asiasari Radix, and Clematidis Radix for treating Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, we investigated the effects and molecular mechanisms of NMS on BV2 microglia to evaluate the potential action of this formula for preventing or treating neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease. Methods : To determine the cytotoxicity of NMS on BV2 microglia, the MTT assay was performed. The effects of NMS on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglia were determined with a nitric oxide (NO) assay and western blots for inflammatory mediator-related proteins, mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) pathway-related proteins, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Result : NMS inhibited induction of iNOS and COX-2 as well as NO production without affecting the cell viability in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglia. NMS also suppressed activation of ERK and p38 MAPK among main kinases of MAPKs as well as NF-${\kappa}B$ by LPS stimulation. Furthermore, NMS dose-dependently induced the expression of HO-1 and the inhibitory effect of NMS on the production of NO were blocked by pretreatment with an HO-1 inhibitor, Snpp. Conclusions : These results demonstrate that NMS has potent anti-neuroinflammatory effect on the LPS-stimulated microglia. These findings provide evidences for NMS to be considered as a new prescription for preventing or treating neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.264-273
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• 2019

Objectives : Microglia play a crucial role in electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia on neuropathic pain. The role of chemokines in producing analgesic effects of EA, however, is largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the role of chemokines in producing analgesic effects of EA in the neuropathic pain model. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three groups (anesthetized group (ANE), non-acupoint EA group (NAP), and ST36 - GB34 EA group (ACU)). Neuropathic pain was induced by tight ligation of L5 spinal nerve. Mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity of hind paw was tested. Western blot tests and immunofluorescence assay for C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) levels and microglia activation were performed on spinal cord L5/6. EA was treated once daily from the 3rd day after surgery for 5 days. Results : EA treatments applied to ST36 and GB34 significantly reduced both mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity after two and three times of treatment, respectively. While CCL2 expression significantly increased in neuropathic rats, it was significantly reduced in the ACU. In addition, co-localization of CCL2 and activated microglia significantly decreased in the ACU compared to those of ANE and NAP in the spinal cord L5/L6 dorsal horn. Conclusions : The present results suggest that EA applied to ST36 and GB34 modulates the reduction of CCL2 release from the injured neurons and consequently decreases microglia activation in the spinal cord. Regulation of chemokine induced spinal activation of microglia plays a key role in analgesic effects of EA in the rat model of neuropathic pain.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.173-180
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• 2006

Microglial activation is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of many brain disorders. Therefore, understanding the response of microglia to noxious stimuli may provide insights into their role in disorders such as stroke and neurodegeneration. Many genes involved in this response have been identified individually, but not systematically. In this regards, the microarray system permitted to screen a large number of genes in biological or pathological processes. Therefore, we used microarray technology to evaluate the effect of oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) and reperfusion on gene expression in microglia under ischemia-like and activating conditions. Primary microglial cultures were prepared from postnatal mice brain. The cells were exposed to 4 hrs of OGD and 1 h of reperfusion at $37^{\circ}C$. Isolated mRNA were run on GeneChips. After OGD and reperfusion, ＞2-fold increases of 90 genes and ＞2-fold decrease of 41 genes were found. Among the genes differentially increased by OGD and reperfusion in microglia were inflammatory and immune related genes such as prostaglandin E synthase, $IL-1{\beta}$, and $TNF-{\alpha}$. Microarray analysis of gene expression may be useful for elucidating novel molecular mediators of microglial reaction to reperfusion injury and provide insights into the molecular basis of brain disorders.