Abstract
A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) involves damage to the brain due to a hard blow or jolt. It is a serious public health problem contributing to a significant number of deaths and severe disabilities every year. Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of accidents and trauma, and data reveal that a significant percentage of patients with TBI_S were intoxicated prior to the injury. A critical component in the response of the brain to TBIs is the activation and migration of microglial cells. Microglia, which are the primary innate immune cells of the brain, comprise 10-15% of the cells in the central nervous system and act as sentinels continually surveying their microenvironment. Ethanol consumption increases the occurrence of TBI_S, but the effects of ethanol on TBI’s outcome are unknown. A clearer understanding of how ethanol affects microglia may lead to development of better therapeutic interventions for people who suffer from a TBI while being intoxicated. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of ethanol on microglial migration using mouse BV2 microglia cells and the wound healing assay. This assay was conducted using a pipette tip to create a scratch across a layer of BV2 cells and then incubating the cells in media in the absence and presence of ethanol for 6 hours. Images were captured using a CCD camera attached to an Olympus IX70 inverted microscope and were analyzed using the ImageJ software. After 6 hours, greater reduction in the area of the scratch was observed in the absence of ethanol than in its presence. Our results indicate that ethanol inhibits microglial migration.
