V-010
Myeloid cell response following olfactory nerve injury: effects of minocycline treatment
Javier Hernán Fotti1,2, Stefanie Shin1,2, Juan Emilio Belforte1,2, Lorena Rela1,2
  1. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  2. CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO). Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Presenting Author:
Javier Hernán Fotti
jfotti@fmed.uba.ar
Olfactory nerve injury induces cellular responses from myeloid immune cells and olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), which may interact during the degenerative/regenerative process. Previous analyses revealed increased density and reduced morphological complexity of microglia/macrophages of the olfactory bulb, shortly after methimazole-induced injury. Here, we evaluated whether minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic with known anti-inflammatory properties, modulates microglia/macrophage reactivity in response to olfactory nerve damage. Mice received oral minocycline (estimated in 50 mg/kg) or vehicle for seven days prior to methimazole administration, and microglia/macrophage responses were assessed in the olfactory bulb through immunohistochemistry against Iba1. Preliminary results suggest that minocycline per se did not have an effect on microglia/macrophage features in non-lesioned animals. In contrast, minocycline prevented the increase in microglia/macrophage density in the olfactory nerve layer, but did not prevent a reduction in cell complexity. These findings support the potential of minocycline as a modulator of a subset of microglia/macrophage responses in olfactory nerve injury at early stages after damage.