Poster abstracts
Poster number 83 submitted by Achikam Haim
Microglial Alterations Within the Postpartum Brain
Achikam Haim (Neuroscience, The Ohio State University ), Kathryn M Lenz (Psychology and Neuroscience, The Ohio State University ), Benedetta Leuner (Psychology and Neuroscience, The Ohio State University)
Abstract:
The postpartum brain is remarkably plastic. In numerous brain regions, motherhood is associated with alterations in the production of new neurons as well as neuronal dendritic and synaptic remodeling. Postpartum modifications are not limited to neurons however, as astrocytic changes have also been documented. Possible postpartum-related alterations in microglia, the primary innate immune cells of the brain, hasn’t been examined although such a consequence is likely given the well-known peripheral immune changes that occur at this time, the role that microglia play in regulating neuronal plasticity, and the sensitivity of microglia to various hormones that are altered postpartum. To begin investigating this possibility, coronal brain sections from postpartum day 8 and nulliparous rats were stained for Iba1, a pan-microglial marker. Densitometry of Iba1 staining was performed in the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus subfields of the hippocampus. Our results show that compared to nulliparous females, Iba1 density was reduced in all three subfields of the postpartum hippocampus. Although preliminary, these results are the first to reveal microglial alterations within the postpartum brain. We are currently investigating whether reduced Iba1 density reflects a reduction in microglia number or a change in microglial phenotype as well as the timing of these changes, their regional specificity, and the underlying mechanism. Together, these studies will uncover whether microglia are regulated by the experience of motherhood and will lead to future studies investigating whether microglia, in turn, regulate the brain and behavioral changes that occur postpartum. The role microglia play in developmental plasticity is well known, and the postpartum period may provide a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of how microglia modulate plasticity within the healthy adult brain.
Keywords: Postpartum , Microglia , Hippocampus