Fig. 4

Pharmacologically inhibiting reverse transcriptases reversed chronic stress-induced microglial morphological activation, ERVs transcription, intrinsic nucleic acids sensing response, and inflammation in BLA. A Representative immunofluorescent images showing Iba1⁺CD68⁺ microglia in BLA, as well as statistical analysis of the number of Iba1⁺ microglia and Iba1⁺CD68⁺ microglia in BLA. One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test, ***P < 0.01, compared with CONT; ###P < 0.001, compared with SUS-PBS; scale bar = 40 ×; a total of 21 replicates from n = 3. B Representative immunofluorescent and their 3D reconstructive Sholl images showing Iba1⁺ microglia in BLA, as well as statistical analysis of microglial area and cell body area of Iba1⁺ microglia in BLA. One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test, ***P < 0.01, compared with CONT; ###P < 0.001, compared with SUS-PBS; scale bar = 60 ×; a total of 90 replicates from n = 3. C Representative flow cytometry images for showing CD11b⁺CD45^LowMHC-II⁺ microglia in BLA, as well as statistical analysis of percentage of CD11b⁺CD45^LowMHC-II⁺ microglia in BLA. One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test, ***P < 0.001, compared with CONT; ###P < 0.001, compared with SUS-PBS; n = 6. D Statistical analysis of murine microglial ERVs genes expression in BLA. One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test, ###P < 0.01, compared with SUS-PBS; n = 3. E Representative western blot images for showing microglial p-p53, p53, IFI16, STING, p-p65, p65, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, and β-actin in BLA, as well as their statistical analysis of relative proteins expression. One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test, ***P < 0.001, compared with CONT; ###P < 0.001, compared with SUS-PBS; n = 3