advertisement
Abstract #14164 Published in IGR 8-3
Muller glial cells express nestin coupled with glial fibrillary acidic protein in experimentally induced glaucoma in the rat retina
Xue LP; Lu J; Cao Q; Hu S; Ding P; Ling EANeuroscience 2006; 139: 723-732
This study was aimed to investigate reactive changes of Muller glial cells in rats subjected to experimentally induced glaucoma. In the latter, it is well documented that elevated intraocular pressure leads to the loss of ganglion cells as confirmed in this study. The present results have shown that Muller glial cells as well as astrocytes closely associated with the ganglion cells reacted vigorously to increased intraocular pressure as manifested by the induced and upregulated expression of nestin and glial fibrillar acidic protein. A major finding in glaucomatous rats was the induced expression of nestin together with glial fibrillar acidic protein with the rise of the intraocular pressure beginning at 2h. The marked nestin expression appeared to be most intense at 1 week after operation and was sustained at 3 weeks. Induced nestin expression in Muller glial cells was demonstrated unequivocally in whole-mount preparation of the retina. In the same tissue preparation, nestin expression was also detected in some astrocytes. Western blotting analysis confirmed a marked increase in expression of nestin and glial fibrillar acidic protein. Present results suggest that nestin as well as glial fibrillar acidic protein is a useful biomarker for retina injury. The induced expression of these intermediate filament proteins in Muller glial cells especially at their end-feet and also in some astrocytes adjoining the neuronal injury suggests a potential neuroprotective mechanism in response to acute rise in intraocular pressure resulting in neuronal degeneration.
Dr. L.P. Xue, Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Block MD 10, 4 Medical Drive, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597
Classification:
2.13 Retina and retinal nerve fibre layer (Part of: 2 Anatomical structures in glaucoma)
3.5 Molecular biology incl. SiRNA (Part of: 3 Laboratory methods)
5 Experimental glaucoma; animal models
