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Abstract #47574 Published in IGR 13-4
Exploring the development of the mouse lamina cribrosa
Hart ML; Tochlin A; Taylor JSHJournal of Anatomy 2011; 218: 356-357
The lamina cribrosa lies at the interface between the optic nerve and retina, forming a specialised structure anchoring the optic nerve to the sclera and dura mater. The lamina cribrosa 2011 The Authors Journal of Anatomy 2011 Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 356 Proceedings of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland marks the separation of the non-myelinated intraretinal and myelinated optic nerve segments of retinal ganglion cell axons. It has great clinical importance as the site at which glaucoma induced retinal damage occurs. There have been few studies of the development of the lamina cribrosa. The lack of intra-retinal myelination has been shown to be due an inability of migrating oligodendrocyte precursors to pass through the region of the developing lamina cribrosa, although the molecular basis of this has not been found. Here we have begun to examine the development of specialisation of the astrocytes within this region of the optic nerve and how this relates to the barrier to the oligodendrocyte migration along the optic nerve head in the mouse. We have shown that astrocytes in the scleral region of the early postnatal optic nerve appear to be arranged in a radial manner, in contrast to those in the main part of the optic nerve. We show that at early postnatal stages there are more atstrocytes in the retinal portion of the optic nerve, but by P4 the number of cells in this region appears to be lower, with an increased cell population within the scleral and main parts of the optic nerve. We have developed an in vitro assay to look at the interaction between scleral fibroblasts and optic nerve astrocytes which might underlie these local specialisations of the lamina cribrosa. Examination of fibroblast:astrocytes interfaces show a tendency for astrocyte processes to orientate towards the fibroblasts. This supports the hypothesis that fibroblasts have the potential to induce changes in astrocytes forming the lamina cribrosa.
M.L. Hart. Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Classification:
5.1 Rodent (Part of: 5 Experimental glaucoma; animal models)
2.3 Sclera (Part of: 2 Anatomical structures in glaucoma)
2.14 Optic disc (Part of: 2 Anatomical structures in glaucoma)
3.6 Cellular biology (Part of: 3 Laboratory methods)
