FIGURE 5.

Summary diagrams of individual vs. triple co-cultures and in the context of AD. (A) Classical individual primary cultures often exhibit significant alterations in comparison with cells in physiological conditions. Neurons and microglia display low morphological complexity, and both microglia and astrocytes increase the expression of pro-inflammatory markers iNOS, IL1β and C3, and AMIGO2, respectively. (B) In our triple co-culture, neurons develop more complex morphologies and increased post-synaptic markers PSD-95 and Homer1. Microglia lower their expression of pro-inflammatory markers such as iNOS and IL-1β, and increase anti-inflammatory markers Arg I and TGF-β1. Lastly, astrocytes reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory markers C3 and AMIGO2, while they develop ramifications that resemble physiological conditions. (C) In the triple co-culture, Aβ1-42 oligomers are able to induce synaptic loss and increase microglial marker CD11b, which makes this triple co-culture a suitable model to study amyloid pathology associated changes in vitro. Neurons, blue cells, microglia, purple cells, astrocytes, green cells, oAβ, oligomeric Aβ.