Microglia and astrocyte activation in the frontal cortex of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

CHANADAY NATALÍ L.; ROTH GERMAN A.

NEUROSCIENCE

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 314 p. 160 - 169

0306-4522

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a widely used animal model for the human disease multiple sclerosis, a demyelinating and neurodegenerative pathology of the central nervous system. Both diseases share physiopathological and clinical characteristics, mainly associated with a neuroinflammatory process that leads to a set of motor, sensory, and cognitive symptoms. In multiple sclerosis, gray matter atrophy is related to the emergence of cognitive deficits and contributes to clinical progression. In particular, injury and dysfunction in certain areas of the frontal cortex have been related to the development of cognitive impairments with high incidence, like central fatigue and executive dysfunction. In the present work we show the presence of region-specific microglia and astrocyte activation in the frontal cortex, during the first hours of acute EAE onset. It is accompanied by the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α, in the absence of detectable leukocyte infiltration. These findings expand previous studies showing presynaptic neural dysfunction occurring at the frontal cortex and might contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the genesis and prevalence of common multiple sclerosis symptoms.