Chronic Microglial Activation in the GFAP-IL6 Mouse Contributes to Age-Dependent Cerebellar Volume Loss and Impairment in Motor Function.

ABSTRACT: Chronic microglial activation is a prominent feature of many chronic neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. To investigate the effects of chronic microglial activation on cerebellar structure and motor function throughout the lifespan, the transgenic GFAP-IL6 mouse model was used. The aim of the study was to examine inflammatory markers and neuronal degeneration while simultaneously characterizing the motor performance of GFAP-IL6 mice at 3, 6, 14, and 24 months of age in comparison to WT (C57BL/6) mice. In respect to markers of neuroinflammation in the cerebellum, increased numbers of Iba1⁺ microglia were observed as early as at 3 months of age. In addition, TNF-α levels proved to be significantly higher in the GFAP-IL6 compared to WT mice at

SUBMITTER: Gyengesi E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6456818 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature