Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41723784›Full record

ArticleCellular and molecular neurobiology2026

Microglial Autofluorescence in the Brain and Retina is Dynamically Modulated by Systemic Inflammation.

Mary Slayo, Hasan Ul Banna, Ying Zhi Cheong, Soniya Xavier, Kylie M Quinn, Luba Sominsky, Loretta Vocale, Philipp Reineck, Brant C Gibson, Blanca Del Rosal and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cellular and molecular neurobiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Mary SlayoSchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, 223.02.14 Plenty Rd, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8314-5421
Hasan Ul BannaSchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, 223.02.14 Plenty Rd, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2207-5285
Ying Zhi CheongSchool of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8674-6457
Soniya XavierSchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, 223.02.14 Plenty Rd, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3985-5291
Kylie M QuinnSchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, 223.02.14 Plenty Rd, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0417-3625
Luba SominskySchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, 223.02.14 Plenty Rd, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0674-8824
Loretta VocaleSchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, 223.02.14 Plenty Rd, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1382-1644
Philipp ReineckSchool of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1549-937X
Brant C GibsonSchool of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7109-2796
Blanca Del RosalSchool of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9174-8097
Sarah J SpencerSchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, 223.02.14 Plenty Rd, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia. Sarah.Spencer@rmit.edu.au.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8832-4824

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The retina-an extension of the central nervous system-contains microglia that survey and respond to injury or pathogens. In response to their environmental milieu, these cells accumulate autofluorescent material likely reflective of cellular debris. Measuring these autofluorescence changes may be a useful tool for early diagnosis of brain-related inflammatory conditions or diseases by imaging the eye. To assess this, we gave Wistar rats a systemic immune challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 250 µg/kg, intraperitoneally) and examined autofluorescence characteristics of the microglia in brain and eye using confocal microscopy. Initial flow cytometry experiments verified that isolated microglia are highly autofluorescent compared to cells in immune-related organs such as spleen. In immunolabelled brain sections (arcuate, hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex), astrocytes, neurons, and microglia all displayed significant autofluorescence, with microglia displaying greatest levels. LPS led to predicted changes in microglial morphology in the brain and this was accompanied by an increase in the number of individual autofluorescent aggregates but a reduction in the total volume, indicative of changes in the dynamics of the material. While there were similarities in the microglial response to LPS in the retina, and the total volume of autofluorescence aggregates was also reduced, retinal autofluorescence changes did not simply predict those seen in brain. These findings suggest that the relationship between immune challenge states and autofluorescence accumulation is dynamic and complex. Understanding the role of microglia in accumulating and metabolising this autofluorescent material may assist our understanding of disease states and how they influence retina and brain.

Indexed as

BrainInflammationMicrogliaRetinaAnimalsFluorescenceLipopolysaccharidesMaleRatsRats, WistarLipopolysaccharidesAutofluorescenceBrainInflammationMicrogliaRatRetina

Identifiers

PMID41723784
PMCPMC13000050

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.