Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA.
PLoS One. 2013 Jul 26;8(7):e69980. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069980. Print 2013.
Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a complex condition that exhibits a spectrum of abnormal neuropsychological and locomotor behaviors. Mechanisms for neuropathogenesis could include irregular immune activation, host soluble factors, and astrocyte dysfunction.
We examined the role of astrocytes as modulators of immune function in macaques with SIB. We measured changes in astrocyte morphology and function. Paraffin sections of frontal cortices from rhesus macaques identified with SIB were stained for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). Morphologic features of astrocytes were determined using computer-assisted camera lucida.
There was atrophy of white matter astrocyte cell bodies, decreased arbor length in both white and gray matter astrocytes, and decreased bifurcations and tips on astrocytes in animals with SIB. This was combined with a five-fold increase in the proportion of astrocytes immunopositive for TLR2.
These results provide direct evidence that SIB induces immune activation of astrocytes concomitant with quantifiably different morphology.
自伤行为（SIB）是一种复杂的病症，表现出一系列异常的神经心理和运动行为。神经发病机制的机制可能包括免疫激活异常、宿主可溶性因子和星形胶质细胞功能障碍。
我们研究了星形胶质细胞作为具有 SIB 的猕猴免疫功能调节剂的作用。我们测量了星形胶质细胞形态和功能的变化。用胶质纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）和 Toll 样受体 2（TLR2）对 SIB 猕猴的额皮质石蜡切片进行染色，以鉴定星形胶质细胞。使用计算机辅助的摄像头对星形胶质细胞的形态特征进行了测定。
SIB 动物的白质星形胶质细胞体萎缩，白质和灰质星形胶质细胞的树突长度减少，星形胶质细胞的分叉和尖端减少。同时，TLR2 免疫阳性星形胶质细胞的比例增加了五倍。
这些结果提供了直接的证据，表明 SIB 诱导星形胶质细胞的免疫激活，同时伴有可量化的形态差异。
