Biomolecular and Functional Changes in a Culture of Microglial Cells Caused by Long-Term Exposure to AlCl3

Inflammaging is one of the main risk factors for the development and progression of age-related diseases. The increase in the proinflammatory background and ROS production can lead to persistent activation and dysfunction of microglial cells. The biomolecular and functional changes in microglial cells after long-term exposure to prooxidant aluminum chloride were studied in in vitro experiment. BV2 cells were cultured in the presence of 0.5 and 1 mM AlCl3 for 70 or 140 h. The intensity of ROS production, apoptosis, and M1/M2 phenotype polarization of microglia were assessed by flow cytometry, qPCR-RT, and ELISA. Cells cultured with 0.5 mM AlCl3 showed signs of “healthy aging”, while the higher concentration (1 mM) of AlCl3 led to persistent activation of microglia. The data obtained can be used for in vitro modeling of inflammaging and related physiological and pathological processes. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.