Chronic exposure to exogenous glucocorticoids primes microglia to pro-inflammatory stimuli and induces NLRP3 mRNA in the hippocampus.

ABSTRACT: Chronic stress as well as chronic treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs) primes the neuroinflammatory response to a subsequent pro-inflammatory challenge. However, it remains unclear whether chronic GCs sensitize the response of key CNS immune substrates (i.e. microglia) to pro-inflammatory stimuli. In the present set of studies, male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent sham surgery or were adrenalectomized and then treated with varying concentrations of corticosterone (CORT; 0, 25, 50, and 75 μg/ml) administered in their drinking water. After 10 days of CORT exposure, whole hippocampus was collected and expression of glial activation markers measured or hippocampal microglia were isolated and challenged with LPS to probe for CORT-induced sensitization of pro-inflammatory responses. Chronic CORT e

SUBMITTER: Frank MG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3912460 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature