Bevan, Ryan J.  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2557-2887, Minett, Jessica F., Smith, Alice, Cardus Figueras, Ana and Taylor, Philip ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0163-1421
2026.
Early regional microglial remodelling in the hippocampus of the AppNL-G-F Alzheimer’s Model.
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology
52
(3)
, e70082.
10.1111/nan.70082
|
Preview |
PDF
- Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (14MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Aims: Microglia undergo profound structural and functional changes during Alzheimer’s disease, yet the earliest stages of morphological remodelling that occur prior to amyloid deposition remain poorly defined. We hypothesised that microglia in the hippocampus of AppNL-G-F mice would exhibit early, region-specific structural adaptations before local plaque formation, reflecting an initial phase of disease-associated structural remodelling. Methods: Two-month-old AppNL-G-F and wildtype mice were examined using high-resolution confocal microscopy of Iba1-labelled microglia in the dorsal CA1 apical field. Automated three-dimensional reconstructions were generated in Imaris, and quantitative morphometric analyses quantified cell density, Iba1 coverage, process topology, and Sholl-based arbor complexity. Statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed-effects models incorporating sex as a fixed factor in all analyses. Results: Microglial density and total Iba1 coverage were unaffected in AppNL-G-F mice at this age. In contrast, Sholl analysis revealed significant genotype-dependent reductions in process intersections and total process length, accompanied by reduced individual-cell territorial coverage, indicating an early contraction of the surveillance arbor independent of cell number. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that hippocampal microglia in AppNL-G-F mice undergo an early, coordinated structural remodelling before local amyloid deposition becomes apparent. This pre- plaque adaptation defines an early structural remodelling of hippocampal microglia prior to evident local amyloid deposition, providing new insight into the earliest structural adaptations associated with neuroimmune engagement in AD pathogenesis.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > Medicine |
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| ISSN: | 0305-1846 |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 15 May 2026 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 11 May 2026 |
| Last Modified: | 05 Jun 2026 14:46 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187023 |
Actions (repository staff only)
 |
Edit Item |
Altmetric
Altmetric