Microglial development is altered in immature spinal cord by exposure to radiation

Previous studies in this laboratory have documented that the microglial environment of the immature spinal cord is altered by exposure to ionizing radiation. As a result, the lumbosacral spinal cord is markedly depleted of both oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, while leaving axons and the overall cytoarchitecture intact. The status of the microglia in the irradiated region is unknown and is of interest given the interactions between microglia and astrocytes recently elucidated by others. This study uses both in vivo and in vitro approaches to examine the microglial population in normal and irradiated immature spinal cord. The lectin, Griffonia (Bandeiraea) simplicifolia, was selected since it marks microglia both in paraffin embedded sections and in cell cultures. Light microscopic examination of spinal cord sections revealed a reduced microglial population in the irradiated region when compared to littermate controls, and a change in morphology of the remaining microglia to that described by others as “activated”. Cultures prepared from lumbosacral spinal cords harvested from 3‐day‐old rats within 2–4 hr following irradiation were compared with cultures derived from their non‐irradiated littermates after 8 days in vitro. Cultures from the irradiated spinal cords revealed trends similar to those observed in vivo, i.e. a reduced microglial population and altered morphology. Although all glial cell types were reduced in cultures from irradiated spinal cords, the few microglia present were usually positioned atop astrocytes. The consistency of reduction in all glial populations in this model shows the microglia to be a novel microenvironment for further studies of roles of microglia within the spinal cord.