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. 2021 May 24;9:665739. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.665739

TABLE 1.

Summary of recent findings on microglia function in neuroplasticity and neuro-inflammation in the hippocampus, with focus on serotonin and antidepressant action.

Microglia in neuroplasticity and neuroinflammation
Kettenmann et al., 2011; Grabert et al., 2016 Microglia represent a diverse and vigilant phenotype with high numbers in the dentate gyrus
Pocock and Kettenmann, 2007; Szepesi et al., 2018 5-HT, 5-HTR Microglia interact with local neurotransmitters and hormones
Gemma and Bachstetter, 2013 Microglia contribute to adult neurogenesis
Pascual et al., 2012 TNF-α, ATP, glutamate Synapse plasticity via microglial release of TNF-α and ATP triggering nearby astrocytes to release glutamate
Trang et al., 2011 ATP, BDNF ATP-P2X4 drives BDNF release from microglia
Parkhurst et al., 2013 BDNF Microglia-mediated synaptogenesis via BDNF
Ferrini and De Koninck, 2013 BDNF In neuroinflammation, microglia-mediated BDNF signaling causes synaptic disinhibition
Sierra et al., 2010; Diaz-Aparicio et al., 2020 Microglia phagocytosis of apoptotic newborn cells in the dentate gyrus through the phagocytosis secretome
Klempin et al., 2013 Tph2, Iba-1 Running-induced microgliosis in wild-type hippocampus that is further enhanced in mice lacking brain serotonin
Wasinski et al., 2018 B2R, Iba-1 Running-induced microgliosis in hippocampus of bradykinin B2 receptor knockout mice
Ehninger and Kempermann, 2003; Ehninger et al., 2011 Iba-1 Physical exercise increases newborn microglia numbers in cortex, but decreases the amount in adult amygdala
Ali et al., 2019 Iba-1 Long-term ENR enhances microgliosis in adult hippocampus and amygdala, hypertrophied and ramified microglia morphology
de Sousa et al., 2015; de Oliveira et al., 2020 Iba-1 Increased microglia complexity in CA3, reduced diversity in molecular layer in ENR
Johnson et al., 2003; Szuhany et al., 2015 BDNF Physical exercise strongly induces BDNF release in rodents, and humans
Moon et al., 2016 BDNF Skeletal muscle releases cathepsin B during running in monkeys that affects BDNF levels in the brain
Tuchina et al., 2018 Interplay of the endocrine, immune and limbic systems during stress
Goronzy and Weyand, 2013 Senescent myeloid cells decrease process motility and chemotaxis
Pickering and O’Connor, 2007 TNF-α, IL-1, IL-18 in AD Enhanced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in disease progression
Shen et al., 2018 AD Dysfunctional microglia in disease progression
Ng et al., 2018 IL-1β, IL-6 in AD, major depression Enhanced peripheral levels in patients
Burbach et al., 2004 BDNF in AD In AD inflammation, release of BDNF by microglia in close proximity to plaques
Floden et al., 2005 TNF-α, glutamate in AD b-amyloid-induced microglia-mediated cell death via the release of TNF-α and glutamate
Makar et al., 2009 BDNF, IL-10 BDNF promotes IL-10 release in multiple sclerosis
Borsini et al., 2015 Cytokines Distinctive cytokines acting on cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro
Kelly et al., 2001; Lim et al., 2013 IL-10 Anti-inflammatory; promotes synaptic plasticity and long-term potentiation
Cacci et al., 2008; Willis et al., 2020 IL-10 IL-6 Potent suppression of pro-inflammation and robust support of adult neurogenesis
Paolicelli et al., 2011; Sellner et al., 2016; Bolós et al., 2018 Fractalkine/CX3CR1 Cx3cr1 Prominent chemokine regulator of neuron–microglia communication in the postnatal and adult dentate gyrus; important for synaptic pruning
Bachstetter et al., 2015; Milior et al., 2016 Fractalkine/CX3CR1 in AD, chronic stress Deficiency results in microglia-induced pro-inflammation and impaired neurogenesis
Monje et al., 2003; Bastos et al., 2008; Fujioka and Akema, 2010 LPS, BrdU and neuronal markers Dose- and time-dependent effects on cell proliferation, survival and neuronal fate in the adult dentate gyrus, in vivo/in vitro
Ekdahl et al., 2003 LPS, BrdU Negative correlation of activated microglia-newborn cells
Mizoguchi et al., 2014 Zhang et al., 2014 Wu et al., 2020 LPS BDNF-TrkB (LPS-induced) microglia activation, transformation can be reduced by BDNF or TrkB agonist treatment; BDNF sustains Ca2+ elevation

Serotonin–Microglia function

Stagaard et al., 1987; Vetreno et al., 2017 5-HT, Tph2, VMAT, SERT, Iba-1, CD11b Serotonin depletion increases microgliosis in dorsal raphe, and subcommissural organ
Krishna et al., 2016 LPS, 5-HT Transient increased microglia numbers and a depressive-like phenotype upon chronic LPS
Carabelli et al., 2020 LPS, Omega-3, 5-HT Fish oil reverses depression-like behavior, increases serotonin in the hippocampus
Albertini et al., 2020 5-HT Microglial processes in close proximity to serotonergic axons in the adult hippocampus
Seifert et al., 2011 5-HT, Ca2+ Transient enhanced Ca2+ signaling in response to serotonin in vitro
Glebov et al., 2015 5-HT2A/B, 5-HT4, Ca2+ Serotonin stimulates secretion of exosomes from microglia cells
Krabbe et al., 2012; Etienne et al., 2019 5-HTR, 5-HT2B, LPS, TNF-α, IL-6 Serotonin promotes microglia-induced targeted motility, but attenuates phagocytosis activity
Kolodziejczak et al., 2015 5-HT2B Serotonin–microglia neurotransmission in development
Béchade et al., 2021 5-ht2b In the lack of 5-ht2b, overexpression of cytokines and prolonged neuroinflammation
de las Casas-Engel et al., 2013 5-HT7 Microglia-mediated serotonin neurotransmission to maintaining anti-inflammatory state
Mahé et al., 2005; Wixey et al., 2018 5-HT7 Present on human microglial MC-3 cells
Quintero-Villegas and Valdés-Ferrer, 2019 5-HT7, IL-6, AD Promotes synaptogenesis and inflammatory priming via IL-6
Lim et al., 2009 FLX Diminished microglia activation in ischemia
Liu et al., 2011 FLX, TNF-α, IL-6 Reduction in TNF-α and IL-6 secretion, in vitro
Jin et al., 2009 FLX, TNF-α, IL-1β Fluoxetine-induced neuroprotection in the dentate gyrus following kainate-mediated neuronal cell death
Dhami et al., 2013 FLX, TNF-α, IL-1β Reduction in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and glutamate, in vitro
Alboni et al., 2016 FLX, TNF-α, IL-1β Iba-1, CD11b Treatment on microglia activation and cytokine release differs depending on environmental conditions
MacGillivray et al., 2011 FLX, SERT, CD11b Inhibition of SERT increases CD11b expression accompanied by loss of dopaminergic neurons
Zimniak et al., 2020 FLX Attenuates symptoms in COVID-19 patients

5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine; AD, Alzheimer’s disease; ATP, adenosine triphosphate; B2R, bradykinin receptor 2; BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor TrkB (tropomyosin-related kinase receptor B); BrdU, bromodeoxyuridine (cell proliferation marker), microglia marker CD11b Integrin αM, and Iba-1 (Ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1); ENR, enriched environment; FLX, fluoxetine; Interleukins, IL-1 to IL-18; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; SERT, serotonin transporter; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor; Tph2, tryptophan hydroxylase 2; VMAT, vesicular monoamine transporter.