Aim: The effects of sevoflurane on microglia/macrophages, promoting or suppressing their activation, remains controversy. We aimed to determine whether sevoflurane preconditioning can protect brain via changing microglia/macrophage dynamics and phagocytosis profile after ischemia.
Methods: The impact of sevoflurane preconditioning was evaluated on microglia/macrophage migration, phagocytosis and proliferation altogether from day 1 to day 7 after transient middle cerebral arterial occlusion (tMCAO) in rats.
Results: Sevoflurane preconditioning was identified to accelerate microglia/macrophage migrating to and invasion in the ischemic core from day 1 to day 5 after damage. Significant accumulation of amoeboid and phagocytic microglia/macrophages was observed in sevoflurane group from day 3 to day 5 after ischemia injury. In addition, sevoflurane pretreatment also promoted the proliferation of microglia/macrophage (Iba1+ /Ki67+ ) dramatically in ischemic core on day 3 postinsult.
Conclusions: Our current study has identified the impact of sevoflurane preconditioning on microglia/macrophage dynamics, including its migration, phagocytosis, and proliferation at early stage after brain ischemia and reperfusion. Sevoflurane might enhance microglia/macrophage activation and promote brain repair. These results could help to approach more relevant microglia/macrophage cell-based strategy for human stroke therapy.
Keywords: ischemia and reperfusion; microglia/macrophage; migration; phagocytosis; proliferation; sevoflurane.
© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.