Figure 1.

The rodent visual system reveals the effect of microglial activation on the modulation of the regenerative capacity of axons from the intact eye axons following a neonatal lesion (monocular enucleation) during early postnatal development. Under normal conditions, the retinal axons that form the ipsilateral pathway make connections to specific regions of the superior colliculus (SC). Following a monocular enucleation at P10, an extensive contralateral SC denervation occurs, followed by rapid compensatory growth of the axons from the intact eye. This plasticity depends on microglial activation, as it is abolished by immunosuppressive drugs (cyclosporin A or minocycline) administered intraperitoneally. Adapted from [78] with permission from S. Karger AG, Basel.