Fig. 13.

Quantitative analysis of the changes in astrocyte and macrophage cocultures by activation of macrophages and treatment with anti-inflammatory PPAR-γ agonists. Each treatment category is expressed relative to the appropriate drug- or vehicle-treated nonactivated macrophage control, with the average for each control group being set to 1 and all replicates being combined in each category. The area of astrocyte cavity per microscopic field is significantly increased by activated macrophages with no treatment (vehicle), which is analogous to the cavitation found after anin vivo CNS injury. Indomethacin treatment (100 μm) of the zymosan-activated macrophages does not prevent this increase in the area of the culture cavity relative to control levels. Prostaglandin J2 treatment (10 μm) and ciglitazone treatment (50 μm) of the zymosan-activated macrophages while interacting with the astrocyte cultures abolish the increases in the area of culture cavities relative to their control levels with nonactivated macrophages. ANOVA with Fisher’s PLSD statistical significance is relative to the pooledControl: Nonactivatedmacrophages category (*p < 0.0005; **p < 0.0001).