The phagocytic capacity of neurones

Phagocytosis is defined as the ingestion of particulates over 0.5 µm in diameter and is associated with cells of the immune system such as macrophages or monocytes. Neurones are not generally recognized to be phagocytic. Using light, confocal, time‐lapse and electron microscopy, we carried out a wid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The European journal of neuroscience 2007-05, Vol.25 (10), p.2947-2955
Main Authors: Bowen, Samantha, Ateh, Davidson D., Deinhardt, Katrin, Bird, Margaret M., Price, Karen M., Baker, Cathy S., Robson, Joanna C., Swash, Michael, Shamsuddin, Wassim, Kawar, Shalini, El-Tawil, Tariq, Roos, Jesper, Hoyle, Andrew, Nickols, Carole D., Knowles, Charles H., Pullen, Anthony H., Luthert, Phillip J., Weller, Roy O., Hafezparast, Majid, Franklin, Robin J. M., Revesz, Tamas, King, Rosalind H. M., Berninghausen, Otto, Fisher, Elizabeth M. C., Schiavo, Giampietro, Martin, Joanne E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Axons - metabolism
Axons - ultrastructure
Chick Embryo
Cytoplasm - metabolism
Cytoplasm - ultrastructure
Dendrites - metabolism
Dendrites - ultrastructure
Flow Cytometry
Ganglia, Spinal - metabolism
Ganglia, Spinal - ultrastructure
Humans
inclusion bodies
Integrins - metabolism
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Microscopy, Electron
Motor Neurons - metabolism
Motor Neurons - ultrastructure
Nervous System - metabolism
Nervous System - ultrastructure
neurodegeneration
neurone
Neurons - metabolism
Neurons - ultrastructure
phagocytosis
Phagocytosis - physiology
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Receptors, Cell Surface - metabolism
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Summary:Phagocytosis is defined as the ingestion of particulates over 0.5 µm in diameter and is associated with cells of the immune system such as macrophages or monocytes. Neurones are not generally recognized to be phagocytic. Using light, confocal, time‐lapse and electron microscopy, we carried out a wide range of in‐vitro and in‐vivo experiments to examine the phagocytic capacity of different neuronal cell types. We demonstrated phagocytosis of material by neurones, including cell debris and synthetic particles up to 2.8 µm in diameter. We showed phagocytosis in different neuronal types, and demonstrated that debris can be transported from neurite extremities to cell bodies and persist within neurones. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated the lack of certain complement receptors on neurones but the presence of others, including integrin receptors known to mediate macrophage phagocytosis, indicating that a restricted set of phagocytosis receptors may mediate this process. Neuronal phagocytosis occurs in vitro and in vivo, and we propose that this is a more widespread and significant process than previously recognized. Neuronal phagocytosis may explain certain inclusions in neurones during disease, cell‐to‐cell spread of disease, neuronal death during disease progression and provide a potential mechanism for therapeutic intervention through the delivery of particulate drug carriers.
ISSN:0953-816X
1460-9568
DOI:10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05554.x