Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5900, USA.
J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2009 Dec;4(4):448-61. doi: 10.1007/s11481-009-9170-6. Epub 2009 Sep 2.
Microglia are the resident macrophage population in the central nervous system (CNS) parenchyma and, as such, are poised to provide a first line of defense against invading pathogens. Microglia are endowed with a vast repertoire of pattern recognition receptors that include such family members as Toll-like receptors and phagocytic receptors, which collectively function to sense and eliminate microbes invading the CNS parenchyma. In addition, microglial activation elicits a broad range of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that are involved in the recruitment and subsequent activation of peripheral immune cells infiltrating the infected CNS. Studies from several laboratories have demonstrated the ability of microglia to sense and respond to a wide variety of pathogens capable of colonizing the CNS including bacterial, viral, and fungal species. This review will highlight the role of microglia in microbial recognition and the resultant antipathogen response that ensues in an attempt to clear these infections. Implications as to whether microglial activation is uniformly beneficial to the CNS or in some circumstances may exacerbate pathology will also be discussed.
小胶质细胞是中枢神经系统 (CNS) 实质中的常驻巨噬细胞群体，因此，它们能够为抵御入侵病原体提供第一道防线。小胶质细胞拥有广泛的模式识别受体，包括 Toll 样受体和吞噬受体等家族成员，这些受体共同作用以感知和消除入侵中枢神经系统实质的微生物。此外，小胶质细胞的激活会引发广泛的促炎细胞因子和趋化因子，这些因子参与招募和随后激活浸润感染中枢神经系统的外周免疫细胞。来自几个实验室的研究表明，小胶质细胞能够感知和响应多种能够定植中枢神经系统的病原体，包括细菌、病毒和真菌。这篇综述将重点介绍小胶质细胞在微生物识别中的作用，以及随之而来的抗病原体反应，以试图清除这些感染。还将讨论小胶质细胞激活是否对中枢神经系统普遍有益，或者在某些情况下是否会加剧病理学。
