The ratio of M1 to M2 microglia in the striatum determines the severity of L-Dopa-induced dyskinesias.

L-Dopa, while treating motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, can lead to debilitating L-Dopa-induced dyskinesias, limiting its use. To investigate the causative relationship between neuro-inflammation and dyskinesias, we assessed if striatal M1 and M2 microglia numbers correlated with dyskinesia severity and whether the anti-inflammatories, minocycline and indomethacin, reverse these numbers and mitigate against dyskinesia. In 6-OHDA lesioned mice, we used stereology to assess numbers of striatal M1 and M2 microglia populations in non-lesioned (naïve) and lesioned mice that either received no L-Dopa (PD), remained non-dyskinetic even after L-Dopa (non-LID) or became dyskinetic after L-Dopa treatment (LID). We also assessed the effect of minocycline/indomethacin treatment on striatal M1 and M2 microglia and its anti-dyskinetic potential via AIMs scoring. We report that L-Dopa treatment leading to LIDs exacerbates activated microglia numbers beyond that associated with the PD state; the severity of LIDs is strongly correlated to the ratio of the striatal M1 to M2 microglial numbers; in non-dyskinetic mice, there is no M1/M2 microglia ratio increase above that seen in PD mice; and reducing M1/M2 microglia ratio using anti-inflammatories is anti-dyskinetic. Parkinson's disease is associated with increased inflammation, but this is insufficient to underpin dyskinesia. Given that L-Dopa-treated non-LID mice show the same ratio of M1/M2 microglia as PD mice that received no L-Dopa, and, given minocycline/indomethacin reduces both the ratio of M1/M2 microglia and dyskinesia severity, our data suggest the increased microglial M1/M2 ratio that occurs following L-Dopa treatment is a contributing cause of dyskinesias.