Enriched (> 95%) primary microglia were prepared by the shake-off method from postnatal day 2 rat cortical mixed glial cultures, then incubated with 75 mM ethanol, with or without TII to induce inflammatory activation as assessed by measurement of nitrite levels in the culture media. Under these conditions, ethanol alone increased nitrite levels about twofold above control values (Fig. 1). Incubation with TII increased nitrite production about threefold over control, and that was further increased (to about fourfold control values) when ethanol was present.
