Age and dietary fiber effect on mouse brain cells

With increasing age microglia shift toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype and become hyperresponsive to inflammatory stimuli, disrupting brain homeostasis. Soluble fibers have been suggested as a dietary strategy to prevent or reverse microglia dysregulation, due to the bioactive nature of the short chain fatty acids (SCFA; e.g., butyrate) produced during its fermentation in the colon. One sample per combination of age (adult, aged) and fiber content (high, low), in a 2x2 factorial design.