Glucocorticoid-mediated modulation of morphological changes associated with aging in microglia.

Lynn Van Olst,Carlos P Fitzsimons,Pascal Bielefeld,Marijn Schouten,Helga E De Vries

doi:10.1111/acel.12790

Lynn Van Olst, Carlos P Fitzsimons + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12790

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Journal: Aging Cell	Publication Date: Jun 7, 2018
Citations: 28	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Amsterdam Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam

Abstract

SummaryMicroglia dynamically adapt their morphology and function during increasing age. However, the mechanisms behind these changes are to date poorly understood. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are long known and utilized for their immunomodulatory actions and endogenous GC levels are described to alter with advancing age. We here tested the hypothesis that age‐associated elevations in GC levels implicate microglia function and morphology. Our data indicate a decrease in microglial complexity and a concomitant increase in GC levels during aging. Interestingly, enhancing GC levels in young mice enhanced microglial ramifications, while the knockdown of the glucocorticoid receptor expression in old mice aggravated age‐associated microglial amoebification. These data suggest that GCs increase ramification of hippocampal microglia and may modulate age‐associated changes in microglial morphology.

Highlights

Microglia, the brain-resident macrophages, are active players in the maintenance of neuronal networks (Wu, Dissing-Olesen, MacVicar & Stevens, 2015)
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are long known and utilized for their immunomodulatory actions and endogenous GC levels are described to alter with advancing age
Our data indicate a decrease in microglial complexity and a concomitant increase in GC levels during aging

Summary

SHORT TAKE

Glucocorticoid-mediated modulation of morphological changes associated with aging in microglia. Summary Microglia dynamically adapt their morphology and function during increasing age. We here tested the hypothesis that age-associated elevations in GC levels implicate microglia function and morphology. Our data indicate a decrease in microglial complexity and a concomitant increase in GC levels during aging. Enhancing GC levels in young mice enhanced microglial ramifications, while the knockdown of the glucocorticoid receptor expression in old mice aggravated age-associated microglial amoebification. These data suggest that GCs increase ramification of hippocampal microglia and may modulate age-associated changes in microglial morphology.

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