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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2018 Oct;23:118–123. doi: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.05.007

Figure 1. Microglia can be influenced by endogenous and exogenous factors in a sex dependent manner.

Figure 1

Microglia initially colonize the brain early in development (embryonic day (E) 9-10 in rodents). During this time and into the postnatal weeks, microglia have an important role in forming neural circuits by initiating synapse formation, pruning aberrant synapses, and phagocytosing naturally dying cells. Around birth, testosterone production in males can influence the number and function of microglia in the developing brain, thus influencing many of these important neurodevelopmental processes. There are also many perinatal events that can program the function of microglia and later-life behavior in a sex-dependent manner. In general, males are more vulnerable to early-life insults including immune activation or stress. Later in life, microglia continue to have an important role in monitoring synapse function and formation, and thereby influencing cognitive function and behavior. During this time, microglia can be influenced by circulating sex steroid hormones, either testosterone in males, or estradiol and progesterone in females. Acute stress can also induce the activation of microglia in the brain via glucocorticoid secretion (CORT), and this can occur in a sex-dependent manner.