Attenuated glial reactions and photoreceptor degeneration after retinal detachment in mice deficient in glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin.

• PURPOSE: To characterize the reactions of retinal glial cells (astrocytes and Müller cells) to retinal injury in mice that lack glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin (GFAP-/-Vim-/-) and to determine the role of glial cells in retinal detachment (RD)-induced photoreceptor degeneration. METHODS: RD was induced by subretinal injection of sodium hyaluronate in adult wild-type (WT) and GFAP-/-Vim-/- mice. Astroglial reaction and subsequent monocyte recruitment were quantified by measuring extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) and c-fos activation and the level of expression of chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and by counting monocytes/microglia in the detached retinas. Immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used. RD-induced photoreceptor degeneration was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) and measurement of outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness. RESULTS: RD-induced reactive gliosis, characterized by GFAP and vimentin upregulation, Erk and c-fos activation, MCP-1 induction, and increased monocyte recruitment in WT mice. Absence of GFAP and vimentin effectively attenuated reactive responses of retinal glial cells and monocyte infiltration. As a result, detached retinas of GFAP-/-Vim-/- mice exhibited significantly reduced numbers of TUNEL-positive photoreceptor cells and increased ONL thickness compared with those of WT mice. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of GFAP and vimentin attenuates RD-induced reactive gliosis and, subsequently, limits photoreceptor degeneration. Results of this study indicate that reactive retinal glial cells contribute critically to retinal damage induced by RD and provide a new avenue for limiting photoreceptor degeneration associated with RD and other retinal diseases or damage.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Animals

Blotting

Western

Chemokine CCL2

metabolism

Disease Models

Animal

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases

metabolism

Fluorescent Antibody Technique

Indirect

Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein

deficiency

physiology

Gliosis

etiology

metabolism

prevention & control

In Situ Nick-End Labeling

Male

Mice

Mice

Inbred C57BL

Mice

Knockout

Microglia

physiology

Monocytes

physiology

Neuroglia

physiology

Photoreceptors

Vertebrate

pathology

Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos

metabolism

Retina

pathology

Retinal Degeneration

etiology

metabolism

prevention & control

Retinal Detachment

complications

Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Vimentin

deficiency

physiology

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)