Transcriptional profiling of myeloid cells (CD11b) and astrocytes (ACSA2) from the striatum and the midbrain of control and parkinsonian animals in the MPTP mouse model

Neuroinflammation is a common hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here, we questioned about the activation state of glial cells along the degeneration process of dopaminergic terminals in the striatum and loss of neuronal cell bodies in the midbrain. We hypothesized that MPTP administration pattern would produce different inflammatory responses that could modify the course of nigrostriatal degeneration. To reproduce the dopaminergic impairment in a PD experimental mouse model, we used two different MPTP-administration patterns: subacute (sMPTP) and chronic (cMPTP). Bulk RNA sequencing of purified midbrain microglia/myeloid cells of sMPTP mice showed an anti-inflammatory phenotype, while midbrain microglia/myeloid cells of cMPTP mice showed a pro-inflammatory and phagocytic phenotype. Midbrain astrocytes presented a phagocytic phenotype in sMPTP mice. In the striatum, microglia presented a continuous pro-inflammatory state in sMPTP and cMPTP conditions. In this region, astrocytes presented a remarkable activated and phagocytic state in sMPTP mice which was attenuated with the chronicity of MPTP administration.