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. 2016 Mar 7;7:10905. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10905

Figure 2. Microglial process motility changes after MD.

Figure 2

(a) Example images showing microglia in binocular visual cortex chronically imaged in vivo. Microglial cell bodies were marked in images taken at 0, 2 and 4 days to compare microglial density over time in ND and deprived (MD) mice (mice of the MD group were deprived at the end of the Day 0 imaging session). Scale bar, 100 μm. (b). Quantification of microglial density as a ratio between the density observed after 2 or 4 days (D2, D4, respectively) and the density observed on day 0 (D0) in the same animal. No significant change in microglial density was observed (n=4–8 per group, Student's t-tests, P>0.05; D2/D0: t(12)=0.6946, D4/D0: t(8)=1.565). (c) Images showing time-lapse imaging of microglial motility in the binocular visual cortex. Insets show traced portions of the microglial arbor. Notice the retraction (arrow) and extension (arrowhead) of processes on the timescale of minutes. Scale bar, 25 μm. (d) Quantification of microglial motility (including retraction and extension of processes) on Days 0, 2 and 4 in the same animals (n=5 per group). Microglia were less motile in contralateral binocular visual cortex following 2 and 4 days of MD (two-way ANOVA, P<0.001; F(1,24)=17.67; Holm-Sidak post hoc, **P<0.01; Day(0): t(24)=0.472; Day(2): t(24)=3.16; Day (4): t(24)=3.65). Graphs show mean±s.e.m.