Selective Ablation of Proliferating Microglial Cells Exacerbates Ischemic Injury in the Brain

Here we report in vivo evidence of a neuroprotective role of proliferating microglial cells in cerebral ischemia. Using transgenic mice expressing a mutant thymidine kinase form of herpes simplex virus driven by myeloid-specific CD11b promoter and ganciclovir treatment as a tool, we selectively ablated proliferating (Mac-2 positive) microglia after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. The series of experiments using green fluorescent protein-chimeric mice demonstrated that within the first 72 h after ischemic injury, the Mac-2 marker [unlike Iba1 (ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1)] was preferentially expressed by the resident microglia. Selective ablation of proliferating resident microglia…

• UL
  Université Laval
• CI
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research