Identification of BACE1 cleavage sites in human voltage-gated sodium channel beta 2 subunit

Microglia cells are the brain counterpart of macrophages and function as the first defense in the brain. Although they are neuroprotective in the young brain, microglia cells may be primed to react abnormally to stimuli in the aged brain and to become neurotoxic and destructive during neurodegeneration. Aging-induced immune senescence occurs in the brain as age-associated microglia senescence, which renders microglia to function abnormally and may eventually promote neurodegeneration. Microglia senescence is manifested by both morphological changes and alterations in immunophenotypic expression and inflammatory profile. These changes are likely caused by microinvironmental factors, but intrinsic factors cannot yet be completely excluded. Microglia senescence appears to underlie the switching of microglia from neuroprotective in the young brain to neurotoxic in the aged brain. The hypothesis of microglia senescence during aging offers a novel perspective on their roles in aging-related neurodegeneration. In Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, over-activation of microglia may play an active role in the pathogenesis because microglia senescence primes them to be neurotoxic during the development of the diseases.     

小胶质细胞在帕金森病病理进展中的作用

帕金森病是中老年人常见的中枢神经系统退行性疾病,研究表明小胶质细胞的活化及其介导的神经炎症在帕金森病的病程进展中发挥重要作用,适度干预小胶质细胞的活化有望延缓帕金森病的进程。小胶质细胞是中枢神经系统固有的巨噬细胞,Notch信号途径可以调控小鼠外周巨噬细胞的分化及功能。Notch通路也参与调控小胶质细胞的激活、细胞因子的表达、吞噬活性的变化等,而这与活化的小胶质细胞介导的帕金森病等神经退行性疾病的病情进展相关。因此,本文将综述Notch信号途径与小胶质细胞介导的相关疾病的研究进展。     

A novel role for microglia in minimizing excitotoxicity

Microglia are the abundant, resident myeloid cells of the central nervous system (CNS) that become rapidly activated in response to injury or inflammation. While most studies of microglia focus on this phenomenon, little is known about the function of 'resting' microglia, which possess fine, branching cellular processes. Biber and colleagues, in a recent paper in Journal of Neuroinflammation, report that ramified microglia can limit excitotoxicity, an important insight for understanding mechanisms that limit neuron death in CNS disease.     

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 regulates microglial migration,inflammation, and inflammation-induced neurotoxicity

Microglia play a prominent role in the brain's inflammatory response to injury or infection by migrating to affected locations, secreting inflammatory molecules, and phagocytosing damaged tissue. However, because severe or chronic neuroinflammation exacerbates many neurological conditions, controlling microglia actions may provide therapeutic benefits in a diverse array of diseases. Since glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) promotes inflammatory responses in peripheral immune cells, we investigated if inhibitors of GSK3 attenuated microglia responses to inflammatory stimuli. Treatment of BV-2 microglia with GSK3 inhibitors greatly reduced the migration of microglia in both a scratch assay and in a transwell migration assay. Treatment of BV-2 microglia with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated the production of interleukin-6 and increased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NO production. Each of these microglia responses to inflammatory stimulation were greatly attenuated by GSK3 inhibitors. However, GSK3 inhibitors did not cause a general impairment of microglia functions, as the LPS-induced stimulated expression of cylcooxygenase-2 was unaltered. Regulation of microglia functions were also evident in cultured mouse hippocampal slices where GSK3 inhibitors reduced cytokine production and microglial migration, and provided protection from inflammation-induced neuronal toxicity. These findings demonstrate that GSK3 promotes microglial responses to inflammation and that the utilization of GSK3 inhibitors provides a means to limit the inflammatory actions of microglia.     

Functions of microglia in the central nervous system--beyond the immune response

Microglia cells are the immune cells of the central nervous system and consequently play important roles in brain infections and inflammation. Recent in vivo imaging studies have revealed that in the resting healthy brain, microglia are highly dynamic, moving constantly to actively survey the brain parenchyma. These active microglia can rapidly respond to pathological insults, becoming activated to induce a range of effects that may contribute to both pathogenesis, or to confer neuronal protection. However, interactions between microglia and neurons are being recognized as important in shaping neural circuit activity under more normal, physiological conditions. During development and neurogenesis, microglia interactions with neurons help to shape the final patterns of neural circuits important for behavior and with implications for diseases. In the mature brain, microglia can respond to changes in sensory activity and can influence neuronal activity acutely and over the long term. Microglia seem to be particularly involved in monitoring the integrity of synaptic function. In this review, we discuss some of these new insights into the involvement of microglia in neural circuits.     

Microglia: activation and their significance in the central nervous system

Microglia are resident monocyte-lineaged cells in the brain. Their characteristic feature is that they react to injury and diseases of the brain and become morphologically and functionally activated. Although some trigger molecules which activate microglia are predicted to be released from injured or affected cells, such molecules have not yet been identified. The main role of activated microglia is believed to be in brain defense, as scavengers of dead cells, and as immune or immunoeffector cells. Recent biochemical and neurobiological studies have further indicated that they significantly affect the pathological state and/or regulate the regenerative state and remodeling of the brain by producing a variety of biologically active molecules including cytotoxic and neurotrophic molecules.     

Accelerated microglial pathology is associated with Aβ plaques in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease

Microglia integrate within the neural tissue with a distinct ramified morphology through which they scan the surrounding neuronal network. Here, we used a digital tool for the quantitative morphometric characterization of fine cortical microglial structures in mice, and the changes they undergo with aging and in Alzheimer's‐like disease. We show that, compared with microglia in young mice, microglia in old mice are less ramified and possess fewer branches and fine processes along with a slightly increased proinflammatory cytokine expression. A similar microglial pathology appeared 6–12 months earlier in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD), along with a significant increase in brain parenchyma lacking coverage by microglial processes. We further demonstrate that microglia near amyloid plaques acquire unique activated phenotypes with impaired process complexity. We thus show that along with a chronic proinflammatory reaction in the brain, aging causes a significant reduction in the capacity of microglia to scan their environment. This type of pathology is markedly accelerated in mouse models of AD, resulting in a severe microglial process deficiency, and possibly contributing to enhanced cognitive decline.     

芍药苷通过IL-10-STAT3信号通路抑制脂多糖诱导BV2细胞炎症与吞噬作用

小胶质细胞是中枢神经系统中重要免疫细胞,也是炎症反应中的主要效应细胞。芍药苷被证实能有效抑制炎症反应,在调节免疫方面具有巨大药用价值。本文旨在阐明BV2细胞炎症反应中芍药苷对细胞炎症及吞噬的抑制作用,并探索其中潜在机制。体外实验利用脂多糖（lipopolysaccharide,LPS）诱导BV2细胞发生炎症反应,芍药苷能有效抑制BV2细胞TNF-α和NO的产生以及BV2细胞异常增加的吞噬功能,并且在此过程中IL-10-STAT3信号通路被激活;芍药苷的抑制作用在我们使用STAT3抑制剂JSI-124后显著降低,TNF-α和NO的表达量增加、BV2细胞的吞噬功能增强。上述结果表明,芍药苷能有效抑制BV2细胞炎症作用及吞噬作用,这一过程中依赖IL-10-STAT3信号通路的激活。这将加深我们对芍药苷抑制小胶质细胞炎症作用机制的认识。     

Human NK cells kill resting but not activated microglia via NKG2D- and NKp46-mediated recognition

Microglia are resident macrophage-like APCs of the CNS. To avoid escalation of inflammatory processes and bystander damage within the CNS, microglia-driven inflammatory responses need to be tightly regulated and both spatially and temporally restricted. Following traumatic, infectious, and autoimmune-mediated brain injury, NK cells have been found in the CNS, but the functional significance of NK cell recruitment and their mechanisms of action during brain inflammation are not well understood. In this study, we investigated whether and by which mechanisms human NK cells might edit resting and activated human microglial cells via killing in vitro. IL-2-activated NK cells efficiently killed both resting allogeneic and autologous microglia in a cell-contact-dependent manner. Activated NK cells rapidly formed synapses with human microglial cells in which perforin had been polarized to the cellular interface. Ab-mediated NKG2D and NKp46 blockade completely prevented the killing of human microglia by activated NK cells. Up-regulation of MHC class I surface expression by TLR4 stimulation protected microglia from NK cell-mediated killing, whereas MHC class I blockade enhanced cytotoxic NK cell activity. These data suggest that brain-infiltrating NK cells might restrict innate and adaptive immune responses within the human CNS via elimination of resting microglia.     

Microglial cell origin and phenotypes in health and disease

Microglia - resident myeloid-lineage cells in the brain and the spinal cord parenchyma - function in the maintenance of normal tissue homeostasis. Microglia also act as sentinels of infection and injury, and participate in both innate and adaptive immune responses in the central nervous system. Microglia can become activated and/or dysregulated in the context of neurodegenerative disease and cancer, and thereby contribute to disease severity. Here, we discuss recent studies that provide new insights into the origin and phenotypes of microglia in health and disease.     

Brain microglia express steroid-converting enzymes in the mouse

In the CNS, steroid hormones play a major role in the maintenance of brain homeostasis and it's response to injury. Since activated microglia are the pivotal immune cell involved in neurodegeneration, we investigated the possibility that microglia provide a discrete source for the metabolism of active steroid hormones. Using RT-PCR, our results showed that mouse microglia expressed mRNA for 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 and steroid 5-reductase type 1, which are involved in the metabolism of androgens and estrogens. Microglia also expressed the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor and steroid acute regulatory protein; however, the enzymes required for de novo formation of progesterone and DHEA from cholesterol were not expressed. To test the function of these enzymes, primary microglia cultures were incubated with steroid precursors, DHEA and AD. Microglia preferentially produced delta-5 androgens (Adiol) from DHEA and 5-reduced androgens from AD. Adiol behaved as an effective estrogen receptor agonist in neuronal cells. Activation of microglia with pro-inflammatory factors, LPS and INFγ did not affect the enzymatic properties of these proteins. However, PBR ligands reduced TNF production signifying an immunomodulatory role for PBR. Collectively, our results suggest that microglia utilize steroid-converting enzymes and related proteins to influence inflammation and neurodegeneration within microenvironments of the brain.     

Caspase blockade induces RIP3-mediated programmed necrosis in Toll-like receptor-activated microglia

Microglia are the resident immune cells in the central nervous system and key players against pathogens and injury. However, persistent microglial activation often exacerbates pathological damage and has been implicated in many neurological diseases. Despite their pivotal physiological and pathophysiological roles, how the survival and death of activated microglia is regulated remains poorly understood. We report here that microglia activated through Toll-like receptors (TLRs) undergo RIP1/RIP3-dependent programmed necrosis (necroptosis) when exposed to the pan caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk. Although zVAD-fmk and the caspase-8 inhibitor IETD-fmk had no effect on unstimulated primary microglia, they markedly sensitized microglia to TLR1/2,3,4,7/8 ligands or TNF treatment, triggering programmed necrosis that was completely blocked by R1P1 kinase inhibitor necrostatin-1. Interestingly, necroptosis induced by TLR ligands and zVAD was restricted to microglial cells and was not observed in astrocytes, neurons or oligodendrocytes even though they are known to express certain TLRs. Deletion of genes encoding TNF or TNFR1 failed to prevent lipopolysaccharide- and poly(I:C)-induced microglial necroptosis, unveiling a TNF-independent programmed necrosis pathway in TLR3- and TLR4-activated microglia. Microglia from mice lacking functional TRIF were fully protected against TLR3/4 activation and zVAD-fmk-induced necrosis, and genetic deletion of rip3 also prevented microglia necroptosis. Activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase and generation of specific reactive oxygen species were downstream signaling events required for microglial cell death execution. Taken together, this study reveals a robust RIP3-dependent necroptosis signaling pathway in TLR-activated microglia upon caspase blockade and suggests that TLR signaling and programmed cell death pathways are closely linked in microglia, which could contribute to neuropathology and neuroinflammation when dysregulated.     

Novel Molecular Insights into Classical and Alternative Activation States of Microglia as Revealed by Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC)-based Proteomics*

Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, have been shown to display a complex spectrum of roles that span from neurotrophic to neurotoxic depending on their activation status. Microglia can be classified into four stages of activation, M1, which most closely matches the classical (pro-inflammatory) activation stage, and the alternative activation stages M2a, M2b, and M2c. The alternative activation stages have not yet been comprehensively analyzed through unbiased, global-scale protein expression profiling. In this study, BV2 mouse immortalized microglial cells were stimulated with agonists specific for each of the four stages and total protein expression for 4644 protein groups was quantified using SILAC-based proteomic analysis. After validating induction of the various stages through a targeted cytokine assay and Western blotting of activation states, the data revealed novel insights into the similarities and differences between the various states. The data identify several protein groups whose expression in the anti-inflammatory, pro-healing activation states are altered presumably to curtail inflammatory activation through differential protein expression, in the M2a state including CD74, LYN, SQST1, TLR2, and CD14. The differential expression of these proteins promotes healing, limits phagocytosis, and limits activation of reactive nitrogen species through toll-like receptor cascades. The M2c state appears to center around the down-regulation of a key member in the formation of actin-rich phagosomes, SLP-76. In addition, the proteomic data identified a novel activation marker, DAB2, which is involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis and is significantly different between M2a and either M1 or M2b states. Western blot analysis of mouse primary microglia stimulated with the various agonists of the classical and alternative activation states revealed a similar trend of DAB2 expression compared with BV2 cells.Microglia, along with astrocytes, form the backbone of the immune response in the brain. Microglia, in particular, comprise 10–15% of the brain, varying by region and predominating in areas of the midbrain such as the hippocampus and substantia nigra (1). Separated from the systemic immune system by the blood-brain barrier, the brain''s immune response relies on the ability of microglia to act as a multifaceted immune cell; microglia are able to sense pathogens, toxins, injury, and cytokine levels, as well as respond in a neurotrophic or neurotoxic manner similar to the macrophage in the systemic immune system (2).Microglia can respond to insult and injury in a neurotoxic manner (3, 4) where activated microglia are able to induce pro-inflammatory cytokines to recruit other microglia and astrocytes in response to bacterial infection and produce a wide and varied array of factors including reactive oxygen species (ROS)¹, and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), cytokines and lipid mediators as well as remove cellular debris as a post-infection response through phagocytosis (5). As such, microglia protect themselves from their own toxic products through a series of antioxidant proteins regulated through the actions of nuclear factor, erythroid 2-like 2 protein (NFE2L2) (6). Microglia have been implicated in a growing number of CNS-associated diseases; classically activated microglia have been found in brain regions afflicted with Parkinson''s disease, Alzheimer''s disease, and AIDS-related dementia (7–9). Microglial activation has also been reported to play a role in brain injury because of chronic alcohol exposure (10–13).Raivich et al. described microglia response and phases as a linear set of stages that microglia pass through in response to injury, pathogens, or antibodies from the systemic immune system that have crossed the blood-brain barrier (14). The first stage is a quiescent resting state, followed by an alert stage characterized by increased expression of integrin-binding proteins, or cell adhesion molecules, such as CD11b. The homing stage of activation that follows is characterized by increased cell mobility and adhesion as microglia target sites of injury or invasion. The fourth stage is a phagocytic stage that is often termed the classical microglia response, characterized by production of neurotoxic factors such as ROS through a cell membrane-bound NADPH oxidase complex and RNS through the action of inducible nitric oxide synthase, iNOS, as well as phagocytosis of cellular debris. The final stage, known as the bystander activation stage, potentiates the microglia response by activating additional microglia through the production and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interferon gamma (IFNγ), and interleukin-6 (IL-6).Our understanding of the role of microglia has broadened in recent years to include neurotrophic as well as neurotoxic features (15, 16). The presence of activated microglia does not always correlate to an inflammatory state in the local brain region, implying a noninflammatory or possibly neurotrophic role for these microglia. Microglia that display multiple activation states have been observed in the brains of Alzheimer''s patients (17). It has been suggested that microglia that enter an inflammatory neurotoxic state first change into a neurotrophic healing response prior to returning to their quiescent resting phase (1). As such, a new schema to describe microglia phenotype was required. M1 phase, which can be triggered in vivo and in vitro by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inflammatory cytokines, has been established to describe classically activated microglial cells that are similar to those found in the fourth and fifth stages of Raivich''s microglial hierarchy. Microglia do not return to a resting state without first receiving anti-inflammatory triggers that are released by other microglia. These additional stages have been classified as alternative activation and have multiple healing responses. Microglia can be induced into the first alternative activation stage, M2a, through treatment with interleukin-4 (IL-4), and/or interleukin-13 (IL-13). M2a is a healing phase typified by tissue repair and growth stimulation through the actions of various extracellular matrix factors. Most importantly, M2a microglia act as an anti-inflammatory counterpart to M1 phase microglia by competing for arginine, a nitrogen pool for the production of RNS during M1 phase; M2a phase microglia compete for this pool through the production of arginase-1 (ARG1) which converts arginine into ornithine (18). M2b phase is a mixed activation state that responds to viral infection and activated antibodies characterized by the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNFα and IL-6, in addition to reduction of IL-12 and increased production of IL-10 (19). M2b phase microglia can be reproduced, in vitro, by treating with IL-1β and LPS concurrently or activated IgA complexes, which bind to Fcγ receptors. M2c phase microglia can be induced through IL-10 exposure in vivo and in vitro, and the emergence of M2c microglia shuts down microglial immune response.In order to study microglia in a laboratory setting, enriched ex vivo microglia, primary microglia, or immortalized cell lines are required. BV2 immortalized mouse microglia have been described as producing 41% of the cytokines and chemokines produced by ex vivo cells as compared with 96% coverage by primary microglia. However, Wilcock et al. showed that BV2 cells were successful at producing the classical activators for all four microglia activation stages as measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (17). In addition, proteomic analysis of pathway level changes may be able to smooth over the lack of full expression through high levels of accurate protein quantification.Because of their importance in immune response and possible role in multiple disease states, a thorough investigation of the differential proteomic expression in the various microglial activation states is required. Using SILAC-labeled immortalized BV2 microglial cells treated with activators of the various activation stages, a proteome profile that includes the major canonical microglial pathways across all four activation states, providing crucial information as to where in these pathways of various states diverge, was established. In addition, using the differential protein expression data, a novel marker of microglia activation, DAB2, was identified and confirmed in primary mouse microglia through Western blot analysis. The abundance of this protein, as well as other differentially expressed proteins identified in this study, may prove as novel indicators in differentiating and categorizing activated microglia in the brain.     

Microglia: phagocyte and glia cell

Microglia are the resident immune cells of the brain, and are located within the brain parenchyme behind the blood-brain barrier. They originate from mesodermal hemapoietic precursors and are slowly turned over and replenished by proliferation in the adult central nervous system. In the healthy brain resting, ramified microglia function as supportive glia cells, and their activation status is regulated by neurons through soluble mediators and cell-cell contact. However, in response to brain pathology microglia become activated: acquisition of innate immune cell functions render microglia competent to react towards brain injury through tissue repair or induction of immune responses. In certain pathological conditions, however, microglia activation may sustain a chronic inflammation of the brain, leading to neuronal dysfunction and cell death. This might be mediated by the microglial release of extracellular toxic reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Nevertheless, in the future microglia may potentially be harnessed for therapeutical purposes.     

Differential Pro-Inflammatory Responses of Astrocytes and Microglia Involve STAT3 Activation in Response to 1800 MHz Radiofrequency Fields

Microglia and astrocytes play important role in maintaining the homeostasis of central nervous system (CNS). Several CNS impacts have been postulated to be associated with radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields exposure. Given the important role of inflammation in neural physiopathologic processes, we investigated the pro-inflammatory responses of microglia and astrocytes and the involved mechanism in response to RF fields. Microglial N9 and astroglial C8-D1A cells were exposed to 1800 MHz RF for different time with or without pretreatment with STAT3 inhibitor. Microglia and astrocytes were activated by RF exposure indicated by up-regulated CD11b and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). However, RF exposure induced differential pro-inflammatory responses in astrocytes and microglia, characterized by different expression and release profiles of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, PGE2, nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2). Moreover, the RF exposure activated STAT3 in microglia but not in astrocytes. Furthermore, the STAT3 inhibitor Stattic ameliorated the RF-induced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in microglia but not in astrocytes. Our results demonstrated that RF exposure differentially induced pro-inflammatory responses in microglia and astrocytes, which involved differential activation of STAT3 in microglia and astrocytes. Our data provide novel insights into the potential mechanisms of the reported CNS impacts associated with mobile phone use and present STAT3 as a promising target to protect humans against increasing RF exposure.     

Detection of MicroRNAs in Microglia by Real-time PCR in Normal CNS and During Neuroinflammation

Microglia are cells of the myeloid lineage that reside in the central nervous system (CNS)¹. These cells play an important role in pathologies of many diseases associated with neuroinflammation such as multiple sclerosis (MS)². Microglia in a normal CNS express macrophage marker CD11b and exhibit a resting phenotype by expressing low levels of activation markers such as CD45. During pathological events in the CNS, microglia become activated as determined by upregulation of CD45 and other markers³. The factors that affect microglia phenotype and functions in the CNS are not well studied. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a growing family of conserved molecules (~22 nucleotides long) that are involved in many normal physiological processes such as cell growth and differentiation⁴ and pathologies such as inflammation⁵. MiRNAs downregulate the expression of certain target genes by binding complementary sequences of their mRNAs and play an important role in the activation of innate immune cells including macrophages⁶ and microglia⁷. In order to investigate miRNA-mediated pathways that define the microglial phenotype, biological function, and to distinguish microglia from other types of macrophages, it is important to quantitatively assess the expression of particular microRNAs in distinct subsets of CNS-resident microglia. Common methods for measuring the expression of miRNAs in the CNS include quantitative PCR from whole neuronal tissue and in situ hybridization. However, quantitative PCR from whole tissue homogenate does not allow the assessment of the expression of miRNA in microglia, which represent only 5-15% of the cells of neuronal tissue. Hybridization in situ allows the assessment of the expression of microRNA in specific cell types in the tissue sections, but this method is not entirely quantitative. In this report we describe a quantitative and sensitive method for the detection of miRNA by real-time PCR in microglia isolated from normal CNS or during neuroinflammation using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model for MS. The described method will be useful to measure the level of expression of microRNAs in microglia in normal CNS or during neuroinflammation associated with various pathologies including MS, stroke, traumatic injury, Alzheimer''s disease and brain tumors.     

Uptake, degradation, and release of fibrillar and soluble forms of Alzheimer's amyloid beta-peptide by microglial cells.

Microglia are phagocytic cells that are the main inflammatory response cells of the central nervous system. In Alzheimer's disease brain, activated microglia are concentrated in regions of compact amyloid deposits that contain the 39-43-amino acid Abeta peptide. We examined the uptake, degradation, and release of small aggregates of fibrillar Abeta (fAbeta) or soluble Abeta (sAbeta) by microglia. We found that although some degradation of fAbeta was observed over 3 days, no further degradation was observed over the next 9 days. Instead, there was a slow release of intact Abeta. The poor degradation was not due to inhibition of lysosomal function, since the rate of alpha2-macroglobulin degradation was not affected by the presence of fAbeta in the late endosomes/lysosomes. In contrast to fAbeta, internalization of sAbeta was not saturable. After internalization, sAbeta was released rapidly from microglia, and very little was degraded. These data show that fAbeta and sAbeta interact differently with microglia but that after internalization a large fraction of both are released without degradation.     

Effects of macrophage colony-stimulating factor on microglial responses to lipopolysaccharide and beta amyloid

A challenge for studies involving microglia cultures is obtaining sufficient cells for downstream experiments. Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) has been used to improve yield of microglia in culture. However, the effects of M-CSF on activation profiles of microglia cultures are still unclear. Microglia activation is characterised by upregulation of co-stimulatory molecules and an inflammatory phenotype. The aim of this study is to demonstrate whether M-CSF supplementation alters microglial responses in resting and activated conditions. Microglia derived from mixed glia cultures and the BV-2 microglia cell line were cultivated with/without M-CSF and activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and beta amyloid (Aβ). We show M-CSF expands primary microglia without affecting microglial responses to LPS and Aβ, as shown by the comparable expression of MHC class II and CD40 to microglia grown without this growth factor. M-CSF supplementation in BV-2 cells had no effect on nitric oxide (NO) production. Therefore, M-CSF can be considered for improving microglia yield in culture without introducing activation artefacts.