Comparative Analysis of LPS/IFN-γ and LPS/ATP-Induced Inflammatory Models in BV2 Microglia

Abstract

The selection of appropriate in vitro inflammatory models is critical for mechanistic studies of neuroinflammation and the screening of anti-inflammatory therapeutics. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) combined with interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and LPS combined with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) are widely used to induce microglial inflammation; however, their distinct phenotypic characteristics and optimal applications have not been systematically compared. In this study, we combined transcriptomic profiling with functional assays to compare these two inflammatory paradigms in BV2 microglia. Our results showed that both models activated the chemokine–cytokine inflammatory network and induced the production of inflammatory mediators and chemokines, but exhibited distinct molecular and functional biases. LPS/IFN-γ stimulation preferentially upregulated genes such as Lcn2, Ccl2, Upp1, and Pim2, which are associated with innate immune activation, chemokine-mediated inflammatory responses, and cell survival signaling, and was accompanied by marked increases in NO and TNF-α production. In contrast, the LPS/ATP model preferentially upregulated genes associated with ECM/cell adhesion, inflammatory and cellular homeostatic regulation, oxidative stress, and calcium-dependent secretion, including Thbs1, Thbd, Srxn1, Syt7, and Procr. Functionally, this model exhibited more pronounced IL-1β maturation and release, relatively lower NO production, and greater mitochondrial dysfunction and cell injury. Pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 with MCC950 significantly attenuated ATP-induced IL-1β maturation, supporting the involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the LPS/ATP model. Overall, the LPS/IFN-γ model is more suitable for investigating the NO/iNOS–TNF-α axis, IFN-γ-mediated synergistic pro-inflammatory responses, and classical pro-inflammatory activation, as well as for screening anti-inflammatory agents. In contrast, the LPS/ATP model is more appropriate for studying IL-1β maturation and release, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, mitochondrial damage, and inflammation-related cell death, as well as for screening inflammasome inhibitors. Our findings provide an empirical framework for rational model selection in microglial inflammation research.