Neurological research
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Neurological research · Sep 2014
Activation of microglia and induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus of type 2 diabetic rats.
The majority of immune cells in the brain are comprised of microglia, which undergo morphological changes when activated to remove damaged neurons and infectious agents from the brain tissue. In this study, we investigated the effects of type 2 diabetes on microglial activation and the subsequent secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), in the hippocampus using Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats and Zucker lean control (ZLC) rats at various diabetic stages. ⋯ These results suggest that chronic diabetes activates microglia and significantly increases pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the hippocampus.