Microglia Play a Major Role in Direct Viral-Induced Demyelination
Figure 2
Distribution of viral antigen and microglia in the spinal cord section of RSA59-infected mice at different days post infection. Mice were inoculated intracranially with RSA59 or mock-infected and sacrificed at day 7 and day 30 postinfection. Spinal cord sections were stained with antinucleocapsid antiserum and/or anti-Iba1 antisera. At day 7 postinfection, viral antigen is present both in gray and white matter but predominantly in the white matter (a). Similarly, at day 7 postinfection, Iba1-positive cells are scattered throughout the gray and white matter with a tendency of white matter accumulation similar to viral antigen (b). At day 30 post infection majority of the Iba1 positive cell-(c, e) are present in the demyelination plaque (LFB-stained section (d, f)). Day 30 spinal cord sections are shown from two different RSA59-infected mice. Arrows show accumulation of Iba1 in (c, e) and demyelinating plaque in (d, f). Arrow, indicate Iba1-positive cells in the demyelination plaque.
