Microglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in rotenone-induced mouse Parkinson’s disease model

Abstract Background Cognitive decline occurs frequently in Parkinson’s disease (PD), which greatly decreases the quality of life of patients. However, the mechanisms remain to be investigated. Neuroinflammation mediated by overactivated microglia is a common pathological feature in multiple neurolog...

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Main Authors: Dongdong Zhang, Sheng Li, Liyan Hou, Lu Jing, Zhengzheng Ruan, Bingjie Peng, Xiaomeng Zhang, Jau-Shyong Hong, Jie Zhao, Qingshan Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2021-01-01
Series:Journal of Neuroinflammation
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-020-02065-z
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author Dongdong Zhang
Sheng Li
Liyan Hou
Lu Jing
Zhengzheng Ruan
Bingjie Peng
Xiaomeng Zhang
Jau-Shyong Hong
Jie Zhao
Qingshan Wang
author_facet Dongdong Zhang
Sheng Li
Liyan Hou
Lu Jing
Zhengzheng Ruan
Bingjie Peng
Xiaomeng Zhang
Jau-Shyong Hong
Jie Zhao
Qingshan Wang
author_sort Dongdong Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Cognitive decline occurs frequently in Parkinson’s disease (PD), which greatly decreases the quality of life of patients. However, the mechanisms remain to be investigated. Neuroinflammation mediated by overactivated microglia is a common pathological feature in multiple neurological disorders, including PD. This study is designed to explore the role of microglia in cognitive deficits by using a rotenone-induced mouse PD model. Methods To evaluate the role of microglia in rotenone-induced cognitive deficits, PLX3397, an inhibitor of colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor, and minocycline, a widely used antibiotic, were used to deplete or inactivate microglia, respectively. Cognitive performance of mice among groups was detected by Morris water maze, objective recognition, and passive avoidance tests. Neurodegeneration, synaptic loss, α-synuclein phosphorylation, glial activation, and apoptosis were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot or immunofluorescence staining. The gene expression of inflammatory factors and lipid peroxidation were further explored by using RT-PCR and ELISA kits, respectively. Results Rotenone dose-dependently induced cognitive deficits in mice by showing decreased performance of rotenone-treated mice in the novel objective recognition, passive avoidance, and Morris water maze compared with that of vehicle controls. Rotenone-induced cognitive decline was associated with neurodegeneration, synaptic loss, and Ser129-phosphorylation of α-synuclein and microglial activation in the hippocampal and cortical regions of mice. A time course experiment revealed that rotenone-induced microglial activation preceded neurodegeneration. Interestingly, microglial depletion by PLX3397 or inactivation by minocycline significantly reduced neuronal damage and α-synuclein pathology as well as improved cognitive performance in rotenone-injected mice. Mechanistically, PLX3397 and minocycline attenuated rotenone-induced astroglial activation and production of cytotoxic factors in mice. Reduced lipid peroxidation was also observed in mice treated with combined PLX3397 or minocycline and rotenonee compared with rotenone alone group. Finally, microglial depletion or inactivation was found to mitigate rotenone-induced neuronal apoptosis. Conclusions Taken together, our findings suggested that microglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in a rotenone-induced mouse PD model via neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, providing novel insight into the immunopathogensis of cognitive deficits in PD.
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spelling doaj-art-edf8aebd8fb045669e5bb7d7e79239ce2025-08-20T03:08:43ZengBMCJournal of Neuroinflammation1742-20942021-01-0118111610.1186/s12974-020-02065-zMicroglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in rotenone-induced mouse Parkinson’s disease modelDongdong Zhang0Sheng Li1Liyan Hou2Lu Jing3Zhengzheng Ruan4Bingjie Peng5Xiaomeng Zhang6Jau-Shyong Hong7Jie Zhao8Qingshan Wang9School of Public Health, Dalian Medical UniversityNational-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Drug-Research and Development (R&D) of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dalian Medical UniversitySchool of Public Health, Dalian Medical UniversitySchool of Public Health, Dalian Medical UniversitySchool of Public Health, Dalian Medical UniversityNational-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Drug-Research and Development (R&D) of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dalian Medical UniversityNational-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Drug-Research and Development (R&D) of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dalian Medical UniversityNeurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of HealthNational-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Drug-Research and Development (R&D) of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dalian Medical UniversitySchool of Public Health, Dalian Medical UniversityAbstract Background Cognitive decline occurs frequently in Parkinson’s disease (PD), which greatly decreases the quality of life of patients. However, the mechanisms remain to be investigated. Neuroinflammation mediated by overactivated microglia is a common pathological feature in multiple neurological disorders, including PD. This study is designed to explore the role of microglia in cognitive deficits by using a rotenone-induced mouse PD model. Methods To evaluate the role of microglia in rotenone-induced cognitive deficits, PLX3397, an inhibitor of colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor, and minocycline, a widely used antibiotic, were used to deplete or inactivate microglia, respectively. Cognitive performance of mice among groups was detected by Morris water maze, objective recognition, and passive avoidance tests. Neurodegeneration, synaptic loss, α-synuclein phosphorylation, glial activation, and apoptosis were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot or immunofluorescence staining. The gene expression of inflammatory factors and lipid peroxidation were further explored by using RT-PCR and ELISA kits, respectively. Results Rotenone dose-dependently induced cognitive deficits in mice by showing decreased performance of rotenone-treated mice in the novel objective recognition, passive avoidance, and Morris water maze compared with that of vehicle controls. Rotenone-induced cognitive decline was associated with neurodegeneration, synaptic loss, and Ser129-phosphorylation of α-synuclein and microglial activation in the hippocampal and cortical regions of mice. A time course experiment revealed that rotenone-induced microglial activation preceded neurodegeneration. Interestingly, microglial depletion by PLX3397 or inactivation by minocycline significantly reduced neuronal damage and α-synuclein pathology as well as improved cognitive performance in rotenone-injected mice. Mechanistically, PLX3397 and minocycline attenuated rotenone-induced astroglial activation and production of cytotoxic factors in mice. Reduced lipid peroxidation was also observed in mice treated with combined PLX3397 or minocycline and rotenonee compared with rotenone alone group. Finally, microglial depletion or inactivation was found to mitigate rotenone-induced neuronal apoptosis. Conclusions Taken together, our findings suggested that microglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in a rotenone-induced mouse PD model via neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, providing novel insight into the immunopathogensis of cognitive deficits in PD.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-020-02065-zNeuroinflammationApoptosisMicroglial depletionCognitive deficitsParkinson’s disease
spellingShingle Dongdong Zhang
Sheng Li
Liyan Hou
Lu Jing
Zhengzheng Ruan
Bingjie Peng
Xiaomeng Zhang
Jau-Shyong Hong
Jie Zhao
Qingshan Wang
Microglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in rotenone-induced mouse Parkinson’s disease model
Journal of Neuroinflammation
Neuroinflammation
Apoptosis
Microglial depletion
Cognitive deficits
Parkinson’s disease
title Microglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in rotenone-induced mouse Parkinson’s disease model
title_full Microglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in rotenone-induced mouse Parkinson’s disease model
title_fullStr Microglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in rotenone-induced mouse Parkinson’s disease model
title_full_unstemmed Microglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in rotenone-induced mouse Parkinson’s disease model
title_short Microglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in rotenone-induced mouse Parkinson’s disease model
title_sort microglial activation contributes to cognitive impairments in rotenone induced mouse parkinson s disease model
topic Neuroinflammation
Apoptosis
Microglial depletion
Cognitive deficits
Parkinson’s disease
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-020-02065-z
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