MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF MICROGLIAL ACTIVATION

Microglial cells are brain macrophages which serve specific functions in the defense of the central nervous system (CNS) against microorgani sms, the removal of tissue debris in neurodegenerative diseases or dur ing normal development, and in autoimmune inflammatory disorders of th e brain. In cultured microglial cells, several soluble inflammatory me diators such as cytokines and bacterial products like lipopolysacchari de (LPS) were demonstrated to induce a wide range of microglial activi ties, e.g. increased phagocytosis, chemotaxis, secretion of cytokines, activation of the respiratory burst and induction of nitric oxide syn thase. Since heightened microglial activation was shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of experimental inflammatory CNS disorders, under standing the molecular mechanisms of microglial activation may lead to new treatment strategies for neurodegenerative disorders, multiple sc lerosis and bacterial or viral infections of the nervous system. Copyr ight (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd