Chemokines induce migration and changes in actin polymerization in adult rat brain microglia and a human fetal microglial cell line in vitro

TLDR

Microglia are the brain’s resident macrophages that respond to injury and inflammation such as multiple sclerosis and trauma. The study assessed whether microglia migrate toward various chemokines. In vitro, adult rat microglia and the human CHME3 line were exposed to MCP‑1, MIP‑1α, MIP‑1β, RANTES, IL‑8, and IP‑10, which triggered migration and f‑actin redistribution. Both cell types showed significant, dose‑dependent migration to all chemokines and exhibited actin cytoskeleton reorganization, indicating chemokines recruit microglia to CNS inflammation. Published in J.

Abstract

Microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, are the primary cells to respond to injury in the brain, both in inflammation, e.g., in multiple sclerosis, and trauma. Chemokines are potential mediators of microglial cell recruitment to sites of injury; thus, the ability of microglia to migrate in response to a number of chemokines was assessed. The chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α, macrophage inflammatory protein 1β, RANTES (regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted), interleukin 8, and IP-10 (interferon gamma inducible protein-10), induce migration and changes in the distribution of f-actin in adult rat microglia and a human microglial cell line, CHME3, in vitro. Both cell types show a significant migration response, above control levels, to all the chemokines tested in a typical dose-dependent manner. These chemokines also induced a reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton of the cells. This study indicates that chemokines play an important role in the recruitment of microglia to areas of central nervous system inflammation. J. Neurosci. Res. 55: 17–23, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.