Cited by 667Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsTryptophan and brain disordersStress Responses and Cortisol

Dynamic microglial alterations underlie stress-induced depressive-like behavior and suppressed neurogenesis

Kreisel, T, Frank, M G, Licht, T, Reshef, R, Ben-Menachem-Zidon, O, Baratta, M V, Maier, S F, Yirmiya, R·2014·Molecular Psychiatry

Abstract

The limited success in understanding the pathophysiology of major depression may result from excessive focus on the dysfunctioning of neurons, as compared with other types of brain cells. Therefore, we examined the role of dynamic alterations in microglia activation status in the development of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-induced depressive-like condition in rodents. We report that following an initial period (2-3 days) of stress-induced microglial proliferation and activation, some microglia underwent apoptosis, leading to reductions in their numbers within the hippocampus, but not in other brain regions, following 5 weeks of CUS exposure. At that time, microglia displayed reduced expression of activation markers as well as dystrophic morphology. Blockade of the initial stress-induced microglial activation by minocycline or by transgenic interleukin-1 receptor antagonist overexpression rescued the subsequent microglial apoptosis and decline, as well as the CUS-induced depressive-like behavior and suppressed neurogenesis. Similarly, the antidepressant drug imipramine blocked the initial stress-induced microglial activation as well as the CUS-induced microglial decline and depressive-like behavior. Treatment of CUS-exposed mice with either endotoxin, macrophage colony-stimulating factor or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, all of which stimulated hippocampal microglial proliferation, partially or completely reversed the depressive-like behavior and dramatically increased hippocampal neurogenesis, whereas treatment with imipramine or minocycline had minimal or no anti-depressive effects, respectively, in these mice. These findings provide direct causal evidence that disturbances in microglial functioning has an etiological role in chronic stress-induced depression, suggesting that microglia stimulators could serve as fast-acting anti-depressants in some forms of depressive and stress-related conditions.

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Crossref · 10.1038/mp.2013.155

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  • Stress diminishes adult neurogenesis and impairs hippocampal function, reduces the size and number of astrocytes, and triggers microglial reactivity.

    “Stress, on the other hand, which diminishes adult neurogenesis and impairs hippocampal function, has been shown to reduce the size and number of astrocytes (Czéh et al., 2006; Tynan et al., 2013) as well as trigger microglial reactivity (Kreisel et al., 2014; Llorens-Martín et al., 2016).”

    From Adult neurogenesis, glia, and the extracellular matrix (2019) · cites this paper as Kreisel et al., 2014

  • In mice previously exposed to CUS, LPS decreases forced-swim immobility.

    “However, in mice previously exposed to CUS, LPS decreases forced-swim immobility [188].”
  • Chronic stress alters microglia density, morphology, and function dependent on stress duration and brain region.

    “Chronic stress alters microglia density, morphology, and function dependent on stress duration and brain region [188].”
  • Inhibiting microglia during stress exposure with minocycline attenuated the increase of proinflammatory cytokines normally produced by stress and protected against stress-associated deficits in cognitive memory tasks and depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors.

    “In each case, inhibiting microglia during stress exposure attenuated the increase of proinflammatory cytokines normally produced by stress (Hinwood et al, 2012(Hinwood et al, , 2013;;Kreisel et al, 2014;McKim et al, 2016).”

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Authors
Kreisel, T., Frank, M. G., Licht, T., Reshef, R., Ben-Menachem-Zidon, O., Baratta, M. V., Maier, S. F., & Yirmiya, R.
Affiliations
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
  • University of Colorado Boulder (US)
Corresponding author
Yirmiya, R
Venue
Molecular Psychiatry
Published
2013-12-17
Volume
19
Issue
6
Pages
699-709
ISSN
  • 1359-4184 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-5578
OpenAlex
W2051359369
Cited by
663
References
85
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 40 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 70 · 2022: 64 · 2021: 73 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 58 · 2018: 53 · 2017: 55 · 2016: 51 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 1
FWCI
20.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Molecular Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
Keywords
microglia, chronic unpredictable mild stress, depression, depression-like behavior, hippocampal neurogenesis, microglial apoptosis, microglial activation, minocycline, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, imipramine, endotoxin, macrophage colony-stimulating factor, GM-CSF, neuroinflammation
MeSH terms
Animals, Behavior, Animal, Brain, Chronic Disease, Depressive Disorder, Hippocampus, Male, Mice, Transgenic, Stress, Psychological, Apoptosis, Microglia, Uncertainty, Cell Proliferation, Mice, Rats, Neurogenesis

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