【Animal Modeling】-Leptin receptor knockout causes activation of rat brain microglia

  Objective This paper uses leptin receptor (LEPR) knockout rats to analyze the changes in the morphology and function of microglia in the rat brain after leptin receptor gene knockout, and to explore the function of leptin receptor in microglia effect.

  Methods RT-PCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to observe the activation of rat leptin receptors in vivo and in vitro.

  Results Leptin receptors are expressed in microglia, gene knockout can completely eliminate LEPR protein in microglia; LEPR knockout enhances the inflammatory response of rat LPS to stimulation, and the survival rate is reduced by 75%; LEPR knockout is large The proportion of activated microglia in the mouse brain was significantly increased; LEPR knockout primary microglia not only secreted more inflammatory factors but also enhanced phagocytic ability; Western blot found that PI3K/AKT was knocked out at the leptin receptor Phosphorylation in rat brain tissue proteins was significantly enhanced.

  Conclusion After knockout of leptin receptor, rat microglia develop in the direction of promoting inflammation and phagocytosis, revealing that LEPR/Leptin may regulate neuroinflammation through microglia.