查看文章

Developmental white matter damage is a brain pathology associated with several long-term neurological disorders. An inflammatory insult has been suggested as the major instigating event. This study investigated the relative influence of inflammation, blood–brain barrier permeability and glial ontogeny in white matter damage. Systemic inflammation was induced in Monodelphis domestica (opossum) by serial intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide at different stages of brain development. Volume of white matter was estimated for the external capsule. Blood–brain barrier permeability was assessed immunocytochemically. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to measure relative levels of mRNA for IL-1β, IL-6 and COX-2. Developmental changes in numbers and appearance of microglia and astrocytes were estimated. Results showed that in response to systemic inflammation, white matter was reduced in the …