Rapid morphologic changes to microglial cells and upregulation of mixed microglial activation state markers induced by P2X7 receptor stimulation and increased intraocular pressure

The identification of endogenous signals that lead to microglial activation is a key step in understanding neuroinflammatory cascades. As ATP release accompanies mechanical strain to neural tissue, and as the P2X7 receptor for ATP is expressed on microglial cells, we examined the morphological and molecular consequences of P2X7 receptor stimulation in vivo and in vitro and investigated the contribution of the P2X7 receptor in a model of...