Figure 4

Immunohistochemical analysis of microglia and astraglia. Male C57BL/6 mice were treated intragastrically with water or ethanol (5 g/kg, i.g.) daily for 10 days and sacrificed 24 hours following ethanol treatment. Brain sections were stained with Iba1 microglial antibody or GFAP astroglial antibody. (A) Chronic ethanol exposure induced microglial activation in many brain regions. Images shown are representative of Iba1+IR cells in cortex and dentate gyrus from control and ethanol groups. In water control mice, most of the microglia were in a resting morphological shape. However, Iba1+IR cells in ethanol-treated mouse brains were shown by increased cell size, irregular shape, and intensified Iba1 staining consistent with morphological changes in activated microglia. Scale bar = 200 μm. (B) Images are representative of GFAP+IR cells in cortex and dentate gyrus from water and ethanol groups. Chronic ethanol markedly increased astroglial activation: upregulation of GFAP immunoreactivity and morphology of hypertophic astrocytes. Scale bar = 200 μm.