Effect of intracranial catheter placement on microglia metabolic profile in rats

Abstract

The aim of the work was to investigate the effect of the intracranial catheter placement on the metabolic profile of rat microglia. Microglial cells were isolated by the centrifugation in Percoll gradient. Oxidative metabolism and phagocytic activity were investigated by flow cytometry. Arginase activity was examined by colorimetric method. Nitrite level was assayed in Griess reaction. It was found that intracranial catheter placement causes down-regulation of nitrite synthesis by 3 times, augmentation of the reactive oxygen species generation by 1.5 times, and slightly decreases microglia phagocytic activity. Thus, intracranial catheter placement was associated with anti-inflammatory shift of microglia metabolism in rats in distant time period after the device implantation.