Researcher(s)
- Cody Kelly, Neuroscience, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Anna Klintsova, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware
Abstract
In animal models of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, the nucleus Reuniens (Re) of the brain has been found as one of the areas greatly impacted by alcohol exposure (AE), showing increased cell death after AE. Microglia, the brain cells responsible for clearing away dead cells, may therefore be affected by AE. Long-Evans rat pups were given a single high dose (5.25 g/kg; AEhigh) or moderate dose (3.0 g/kg; AEmod) of alcohol on postnatal (PD) day 9, or were sham intubated (SI), and were perfused on PD 13. Brains were extracted and sectioned at 40μm in the coronal plane for immunohistochemistry staining. Primary antibodies against Iba1 (microglia marker protein) were used to identify microglia in the brain tissue. DAB was used as a chromogen for light microscopic analysis and tissue was counterstained with Pyronin Y to further differentiate structures. The Re was outlined under low magnification and five pseudo randomly selected microglia cells per Re section were measured. The area of each outlined microglia cell was calculated and averaged for each animal. A larger area occupied by the microglia cell and processes indicates resting state; a smaller area – activated state. Preliminary results show that microglia in SI animals had a significantly larger average area [M = 989.1 um2 ; SD = +/- 85.98 um2] than microglia in AEhigh animals [M=824.3um2 ; SD = +/- 99.65 um2], t(7)=2.61, p = 0.035. There was no significant difference in the average area of microglia between SI and AEmod animals [t(6)=1.07, p = 0.327], or between AEmod and AEhigh animals [t(7)=0.31, p = 0.764]. These results suggest that there are a greater number of activated microglia present in AEhigh animals compared to SI.