Poster abstracts
Poster number 73 submitted by Courtney Dye
Microglia depletion promotes the sensitization of maternal behavior in adult female virgin rats
Courtney Dye (Neuroscience Graduate Program ), Dominic Franceschelli, Benedetta Leuner (Dept of Psychology, Dept of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University), Kathryn Lenz (Dept of Psychology, Dept of Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University)
Abstract:
The peripartum period, a time of dramatic shifts in the peripheral immune system, is also accompanied by decreased microglia across limbic brain regions. While peripheral modifications are necessary to support a successful pregnancy and fetal development, the functional significance of peripartum microglial alterations remains unclear. Given that maternal microglial alterations emerge in late pregnancy, we hypothesize that they are important for the coordinated onset and display of maternal behavior. To test this, we recapitulated the peripartum neuroimmune profile by depleting microglia in adult female virgin rats who are typically not maternal but can be induced to behave maternally towards foster pups, a process called maternal sensitization. Microglia depletion was achieved via systemic administration of BLZ945, a colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor. After establishing the effectiveness of BLZ945 in reducing microglia, BLZ- and vehicle-treated females underwent maternal sensitization. Our data show that BLZ-treated females met criteria for displaying maternal behavior sooner than vehicle-treated females. Moreover, BLZ-treated animals displayed increased pup-directed behaviors including licking and sniffing. BLZ-treated animals also displayed reduced anxiety-like behaviors as measured by increased entries and time in the center of an open field. Though previous evidence suggests microglial depletion does not significantly affect behavior in adult males, our results suggest that microglia are important for organizing behavior in the adult female brain, and might be particularly important in the context of maternal care.
References:
Dagher, N.N., Najafi, A.R., Kayala, K.M.N. Elmore, M.R.P., White, T.E., Medeiros, R., West, B.L., & Green, K.N. (2015). Colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibition prevents microglial plaque association and improves cognition in 3xTg-AD mice. Journal of Neuroinflammation, 12(139).
Haim, A., Julian, D., Albin-Brooks, C., Brothers, H.M., Lenz, K.M., & Leuner, B. (2017). A survey of neuroimmune changes in pregnant and postpartum female rats. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 59, 67-78.
Murrieta-Coxca, J.M., Rodriguez-Martinez, S., Cancino-Diaz, M.E., Markert, U.R., Favaro, R.R., & Morales-Prieto, D.M. (2019). IL-36 Cytokines: Regulators of inflammatory responses and their emerging role in immunology of reproduction. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(7), 1649.
Keywords: Microglia , Maternal behavior , Sex differences