microglial cells without ethanol exposure (Fig. 7D). Following intermittent ethanol exposure, we observed significantly augmented phagocytosis in high-PRS microglial cells, particularly at higher ethanol concentrations (75 mM) (Fig. 7, B and C), while low-PRS cells did not exhibit a corresponding increase (Fig. 7, A and C). A similar pattern was observed in the proportion of microglia containing beads, which substantially increased in high-PRS microglial cells but remained relatively unchanged in low-PRS microglial cells after intermittent ethanol exposure (Fig. 7D). Our results indicated that ethanol exposure enhances phagocytic activity in high-PRS, but not in low-PRS microglial cells. These results suggested a potential link between variation in genetic background summarized by PRS and ethanol-induced alterations in microglial function.
