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Martínez-Gil N, Maneu V, Kutsyr O, Fernández-Sánchez L, Sánchez-Sáez X, Sánchez-Castillo C, Campello L, Lax P, Pinilla I, Cuenca N. Cellular and molecular alterations in neurons and glial cells in inherited retinal degeneration. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:984052. [PMID: 36225228 PMCID: PMC9548552 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.984052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple gene mutations have been associated with inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs). Despite the spectrum of phenotypes caused by the distinct mutations, IRDs display common physiopathology features. Cell death is accompanied by inflammation and oxidative stress. The vertebrate retina has several attributes that make this tissue vulnerable to oxidative and nitrosative imbalance. The high energy demands and active metabolism in retinal cells, as well as their continuous exposure to high oxygen levels and light-induced stress, reveal the importance of tightly regulated homeostatic processes to maintain retinal function, which are compromised in pathological conditions. In addition, the subsequent microglial activation and gliosis, which triggers the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, trophic factors, and other molecules, further worsen the degenerative process. As the disease evolves, retinal cells change their morphology and function. In disease stages where photoreceptors are lost, the remaining neurons of the retina to preserve their function seek out for new synaptic partners, which leads to a cascade of morphological alterations in retinal cells that results in a complete remodeling of the tissue. In this review, we describe important molecular and morphological changes in retinal cells that occur in response to oxidative stress and the inflammatory processes underlying IRDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Martínez-Gil
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Victoria Maneu
- Department of Optics, Pharmacology and Anatomy, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Oksana Kutsyr
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Xavier Sánchez-Sáez
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Carla Sánchez-Castillo
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Laura Campello
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Pedro Lax
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
| | - Isabel Pinilla
- Aragón Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Ophthalmology, Lozano Blesa University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Surgery, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Isabel Pinilla,
| | - Nicolás Cuenca
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
- Institute Ramón Margalef, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- *Correspondence: Nicolás Cuenca,
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2
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Di Pierdomenico J, Gallego‐Ortega A, Martínez‐Vacas A, García‐Bernal D, Vidal‐Sanz M, Villegas‐Pérez MP, García‐Ayuso D. Intravitreal and subretinal syngeneic bone marrow mononuclear stem cell transplantation improves photoreceptor survival but does not ameliorate retinal function in two rat models of retinal degeneration. Acta Ophthalmol 2022; 100:e1313-e1331. [PMID: 35514078 DOI: 10.1111/aos.15165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To study and compare effects of syngeneic bone marrow mononuclear stem cells (BM-MNCs) transplants on inherited retinal degeneration in two animal models with different etiologies: the RCS and the P23H-1 rats. To compare the safety and efficacy of two methods of intraocular delivery: subretinal and/or intravitreal. METHODS A suspension of BM-MNCs was injected subretinally or intravitreally in the left eyes of P23H-1 and RCS rats at post-natal day (P) 21. At different survival intervals after the injection: 7, 15, 30 or 60 days, the retinas were cross-sectioned, and photoreceptor survival and glial cell responses were investigated using immunodetection of cones (anti-cone arrestin), synaptic connections (anti-bassoon), microglia (anti-Iba-1), astrocytes and Müller cells (anti-GFAP). Electroretinographic function was also assessed longitudinally. RESULTS Intravitreal injections (IVIs) or subretinal injections (SRIs) of BM-MNCs did not produce adverse effects. The transplanted cells survived for up to 15 days but did not penetrate the retina. Both IVIs and SRIs increased photoreceptor survival, decreased synaptic degeneration and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in Müller cells but did not modify microglial cell activation and migration or the electroretinographic responses. CONCLUSIONS Intravitreal and subretinal syngeneic BM-MNCs transplantation decreases photoreceptor degeneration and shows anti-gliotic effects on Müller cells but does not ameliorate retinal function. Moreover, syngeneic BM-MNCs transplants are more effective than the xenotransplants of these cells. BM-MNC transplantation has potential therapeutic effects that merit further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnny Di Pierdomenico
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Murcia Murcia Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB‐Virgen de la Arrixaca) Murcia Spain
| | - Alejandro Gallego‐Ortega
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Murcia Murcia Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB‐Virgen de la Arrixaca) Murcia Spain
| | - Ana Martínez‐Vacas
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Murcia Murcia Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB‐Virgen de la Arrixaca) Murcia Spain
| | - David García‐Bernal
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB‐Virgen de la Arrixaca) Murcia Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular B e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Murcia Murcia Spain
| | - Manuel Vidal‐Sanz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Murcia Murcia Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB‐Virgen de la Arrixaca) Murcia Spain
| | - María P. Villegas‐Pérez
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Murcia Murcia Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB‐Virgen de la Arrixaca) Murcia Spain
| | - Diego García‐Ayuso
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Murcia Murcia Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB‐Virgen de la Arrixaca) Murcia Spain
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3
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Fernández-Sánchez L, Albertos-Arranz H, Ortuño-Lizarán I, Lax P, Cuenca N. Neuroprotective Effects of Tauroursodeoxicholic Acid Involves Vascular and Glial Changes in Retinitis Pigmentosa Model. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:858073. [PMID: 35493706 PMCID: PMC9039202 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.858073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Retinitis pigmentosa is primarily characterized by a massive photoreceptor loss. But a global retinal remodeling occurs in later stages of the disease. At that phase, glial cells and retinal vasculature are also strongly affected. The main aim of the present work is to assess if the bile acid Tauroursodeoxicholic acid (TUDCA), which has a demonstrated neuroprotective effect in numerous neurodegenerative diseases, is able to prevent glial and vascular degeneration in the P23H rat retina. Methods Homozygous P23H (line 3) animals were injected weekly with a TUDCA (500 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle solution, from the postnatal day (P) 21 to P120. Sprague-Dawley rats (SD) were used as control. Retinal cross-sections and wholemounts were immunostained using different glial and vascular markers and visualized with confocal microscopy. Retinal blood vessels were stained with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) diaphorase histochemistry and retinal vascular networks were drawn by hand using a camera lucida. Results At P120, the photoreceptor degeneration observed in P23H rats was accompanied by a reduction in the vascular network density and complexity at the deep capillary plexus. In addition, astrocytes showed gliotic features and the outer processes of Müller cells displayed an aberrant distribution in ring-shaped structures. When treated with TUDCA, P23H rats displayed better-preserved vessels and capillary loops in the deep capillary plexus which are associated with the partial preservation of photoreceptors. TUDCA treatment also increased the number of astrocytes and reduced the presence of Müller cell process clusters in the outer retina. Conclusion This work suggests that, besides its neuroprotective effect on photoreceptor cells, TUDCA treatment also protects from vascular and glial degeneration, a fact that encourages the use of TUDCA as a powerful therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henar Albertos-Arranz
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Isabel Ortuño-Lizarán
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Pedro Lax
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL-FISABIO Foundation), Alicante, Spain
| | - Nicolás Cuenca
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL-FISABIO Foundation), Alicante, Spain
- Institute Ramón Margalef, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- *Correspondence: Nicolás Cuenca,
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4
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Roberts PA. Mathematical Models of Retinitis Pigmentosa: The Trophic Factor Hypothesis. J Theor Biol 2021; 534:110938. [PMID: 34687673 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the term used to denote a group of inherited retinal-degenerative conditions that cause progressive sight loss. Individuals with this condition lose their light-sensitive photoreceptor cells, known as rods and cones, over a period of years to decades; degeneration starting in the retinal periphery, and spreading peripherally and centrally over time. RP is a rod-cone dystrophy, meaning that rod health and function are affected earlier and more severely than that of cones. Rods degenerate due to an underlying mutation, whereas the reasons for cone degeneration are unknown. A number of mechanisms have been proposed to explain secondary cone loss and the spatio-temporal patterns of retinal degeneration in RP. One of the most promising is the trophic factor hypothesis, which suggests that rods produce a factor necessary for cone survival, such that, when rods degenerate, cone degeneration follows. In this paper we formulate and analyse mathematical models of human RP under the trophic factor hypothesis. These models are constructed as systems of reaction-diffusion partial differential equations in one spatial dimension, and are solved and analysed using a combination of numerical and analytical methods. We predict the conditions under which cones will degenerate following the loss of a patch of rods from the retina, the critical trophic factor treatment rate required to prevent cone degeneration following rod loss and the spatio-temporal patterns of cone loss that would result if the trophic factor mechanism alone were responsible for retinal degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Roberts
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, John Maynard Smith Building, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK.
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5
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Di Pierdomenico J, Martínez-Vacas A, Hernández-Muñoz D, Gómez-Ramírez AM, Valiente-Soriano FJ, Agudo-Barriuso M, Vidal-Sanz M, Villegas-Pérez MP, García-Ayuso D. Coordinated Intervention of Microglial and Müller Cells in Light-Induced Retinal Degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:47. [PMID: 32232352 PMCID: PMC7401701 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.3.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To analyze the role of microglial and Müller cells in the formation of rings of photoreceptor degeneration caused by phototoxicity. Methods Two-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to light and processed 1, 2, or 3 months later. Retinas were dissected as whole-mounts, immunodetected for microglial cells, Müller cells, and S- and L/M-cones and analyzed using fluorescence, thunder imaging, and confocal microscopy. Cone populations were automatically counted and isodensity maps constructed to document cone topography. Results Phototoxicity causes a significant progressive loss of S- and L/M-cones of up to 68% and 44%, respectively, at 3 months after light exposure (ALE). One month ALE, we observed rings of cone degeneration in the photosensitive area of the superior retina. Two and 3 months ALE, these rings had extended to the central and inferior retina. Within the rings of cone degeneration, there were degenerating cones, often activated microglial cells, and numerous radially oriented processes of Müller cells that showed increased expression of intermediate filaments. Between 1 and 3 months ALE, the rings coalesced, and at the same time the microglial cells resumed a mosaic-like distribution, and there was a decrease of Müller cell gliosis at the areas devoid of cones. Conclusions Light-induced photoreceptor degeneration proceeds with rings of cone degeneration, as observed in inherited retinal degenerations in which cone death is secondary to rod degeneration. The spatiotemporal relationship of cone death microglial cell activation and Müller cell gliosis within the rings of cone degeneration suggests that, although both glial cells are involved in the formation of the rings, they may have coordinated actions and, while microglial cells may be more involved in photoreceptor phagocytosis, Müller cells may be more involved in cone and microglial cell migration, retinal remodeling and glial seal formation.
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García-Ayuso D, Di Pierdomenico J, Vidal-Sanz M, Villegas-Pérez MP. Retinal Ganglion Cell Death as a Late Remodeling Effect of Photoreceptor Degeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20184649. [PMID: 31546829 PMCID: PMC6770703 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Inherited or acquired photoreceptor degenerations, one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness in the world, are a group of retinal disorders that initially affect rods and cones, situated in the outer retina. For many years it was assumed that these diseases did not spread to the inner retina. However, it is now known that photoreceptor loss leads to an unavoidable chain of events that cause neurovascular changes in the retina including migration of retinal pigment epithelium cells, formation of “subretinal vascular complexes”, vessel displacement, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axonal strangulation by retinal vessels, axonal transport alteration and, ultimately, RGC death. These events are common to all photoreceptor degenerations regardless of the initial trigger and thus threaten the outcome of photoreceptor substitution as a therapeutic approach, because with a degenerating inner retina, the photoreceptor signal will not reach the brain. In conclusion, therapies should be applied early in the course of photoreceptor degeneration, before the remodeling process reaches the inner retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego García-Ayuso
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, and Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Virgen de la Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Johnny Di Pierdomenico
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, and Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Virgen de la Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Manuel Vidal-Sanz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, and Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Virgen de la Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain.
| | - María P Villegas-Pérez
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, and Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Virgen de la Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain.
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7
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Quinn PM, Mulder AA, Henrique Alves C, Desrosiers M, de Vries SI, Klooster J, Dalkara D, Koster AJ, Jost CR, Wijnholds J. Loss of CRB2 in Müller glial cells modifies a CRB1-associated retinitis pigmentosa phenotype into a Leber congenital amaurosis phenotype. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:105-123. [PMID: 30239717 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Variations in the human Crumbs homolog-1 (CRB1) gene lead to an array of retinal dystrophies including early onset of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) in children. To investigate the physiological roles of CRB1 and CRB2 in retinal Müller glial cells (MGCs), we analysed mouse retinas lacking both proteins in MGC. The peripheral retina showed a faster progression of dystrophy than the central retina. The central retina showed retinal folds, disruptions at the outer limiting membrane, protrusion of photoreceptor nuclei into the inner and outer segment layers and ingression of photoreceptor nuclei into the photoreceptor synaptic layer. The peripheral retina showed a complete loss of the photoreceptor synapse layer, intermingling of photoreceptor nuclei within the inner nuclear layer and ectopic photoreceptor cells in the ganglion cell layer. Electroretinography showed severe attenuation of the scotopic a-wave at 1 month of age with responses below detection levels at 3 months of age. The double knockout mouse retinas mimicked a phenotype equivalent to a clinical LCA phenotype due to loss of CRB1. Localization of CRB1 and CRB2 in non-human primate (NHP) retinas was analyzed at the ultrastructural level. We found that NHP CRB1 and CRB2 proteins localized to the subapical region adjacent to adherens junctions at the outer limiting membrane in MGC and photoreceptors. Our data suggest that loss of CRB2 in MGC aggravates the CRB1-associated RP-like phenotype towards an LCA-like phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Quinn
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Aat A Mulder
- Department of Cell & Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - C Henrique Alves
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mélissa Desrosiers
- Department of Therapeutics, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris, UMR_S INSERM, CNRS, UMR, Paris, France
| | - Sharon I de Vries
- Department of Axonal Signaling, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Klooster
- Department of Retina Signal Processing, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Deniz Dalkara
- Department of Therapeutics, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris, UMR_S INSERM, CNRS, UMR, Paris, France
| | - Abraham J Koster
- Department of Cell & Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Carolina R Jost
- Department of Cell & Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Wijnholds
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, RC Leiden, The Netherlands.,The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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8
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Lin28B promotes Müller glial cell de-differentiation and proliferation in the regenerative rat retinas. Oncotarget 2018; 7:49368-49383. [PMID: 27384999 PMCID: PMC5226514 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal regeneration and repair are severely impeded in higher mammalian animals. Although Müller cells can be activated and show some characteristics of progenitor cells when injured or under pathological conditions, they quickly form gliosis scars. Unfortunately, the basic mechanisms that impede retinal regeneration remain unknown. We studied retinas from Royal College of Surgeon (RCS) rats and found that let-7 family molecules, let-7e and let-7i, were significantly overexpressed in Müller cells of degenerative retinas. It demonstrated that down-regulation of the RNA binding protein Lin28B was one of the key factors leading to the overexpression of let-7e and let-7i. Lin28B ectopic expression in the Müller cells suppressed overexpression of let-7e and let-7i, stimulated and mobilized Müller glia de-differentiation, proliferation, promoted neuronal commitment, and inhibited glial fate acquisition of de-differentiated Müller cells. ERG recordings revealed that the amplitudes of a-wave and b-wave were improved significantly after Lin28B was delivered into the subretinal space of RCS rats. In summary, down-regulation of Lin28B as well as up-regulation of let-7e and let-7i may be the main factors that impede Müller cell de-differentiation and proliferation in the retina of RCS rats.
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LaVail MM, Nishikawa S, Steinberg RH, Naash MI, Duncan JL, Trautmann N, Matthes MT, Yasumura D, Lau-Villacorta C, Chen J, Peterson WM, Yang H, Flannery JG. Phenotypic characterization of P23H and S334ter rhodopsin transgenic rat models of inherited retinal degeneration. Exp Eye Res 2018; 167:56-90. [PMID: 29122605 PMCID: PMC5811379 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2017.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We produced 8 lines of transgenic (Tg) rats expressing one of two different rhodopsin mutations in albino Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Three lines were generated with a proline to histidine substitution at codon 23 (P23H), the most common autosomal dominant form of retinitis pigmentosa in the United States. Five lines were generated with a termination codon at position 334 (S334ter), resulting in a C-terminal truncated opsin protein lacking the last 15 amino acid residues and containing all of the phosphorylation sites involved in rhodopsin deactivation, as well as the terminal QVAPA residues important for rhodopsin deactivation and trafficking. The rates of photoreceptor (PR) degeneration in these models vary in proportion to the ratio of mutant to wild-type rhodopsin. The models have been widely studied, but many aspects of their phenotypes have not been described. Here we present a comprehensive study of the 8 Tg lines, including the time course of PR degeneration from the onset to one year of age, retinal structure by light and electron microscopy (EM), hemispheric asymmetry and gradients of rod and cone degeneration, rhodopsin content, gene dosage effect, rapid activation and invasion of the outer retina by presumptive microglia, rod outer segment disc shedding and phagocytosis by the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), and retinal function by the electroretinogram (ERG). The biphasic nature of PR cell death was noted, as was the lack of an injury-induced protective response in the rat models. EM analysis revealed the accumulation of submicron vesicular structures in the interphotoreceptor space during the peak period of PR outer segment degeneration in the S334ter lines. This is likely due to the elimination of the trafficking consensus domain as seen before as with other rhodopsin mutants lacking the C-terminal QVAPA. The 8 rhodopsin Tg lines have been, and will continue to be, extremely useful models for the experimental study of inherited retinal degenerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M LaVail
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Shimpei Nishikawa
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Roy H Steinberg
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA
| | - Muna I Naash
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd., Room 2011, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
| | - Jacque L Duncan
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Nikolaus Trautmann
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Michael T Matthes
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Douglas Yasumura
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA
| | - Cathy Lau-Villacorta
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Zilka Neurogenetic Institute, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2821, USA.
| | - Ward M Peterson
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Haidong Yang
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - John G Flannery
- School of Optometry, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-2020, USA.
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10
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Graca AB, Hippert C, Pearson RA. Müller Glia Reactivity and Development of Gliosis in Response to Pathological Conditions. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1074:303-308. [PMID: 29721957 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75402-4_37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Within the mammalian retina, both Müller glia and astrocytes display reactivity in response to many forms of retinal injury and disease in a process termed gliosis. Reactive gliosis is a complex process that is considered to represent a cellular response to protect the retina from further damage and to promote its repair following pathological insult. It includes morphological, biochemical and physiological changes, which may vary depending on the type and degree of the initial injury. Not only does gliosis have numerous triggers, but also there is a great degree of heterogeneity in the glial response, creating multiple levels of complexity. For these reasons, understanding the process of glial scar formation and how this process differs in different pathological conditions and finding strategies to circumvent these barriers represent major challenges to the advancement of many ocular therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B Graca
- Department of Genetics, University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.
| | - Claire Hippert
- Roche, Stem Cell Platform, Chemical Biology Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rachael A Pearson
- Department of Genetics, University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.
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11
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Protective effect of clusterin on rod photoreceptor in rat model of retinitis pigmentosa. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182389. [PMID: 28767729 PMCID: PMC5540409 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) begins with the death of rod photoreceptors and is slowly followed by a gradual loss of cones and a rearrangement of the remaining retinal neurons. Clusterin is a chaperone protein that protects cells and is involved in various pathophysiological stresses, including retinal degeneration. Using a well-established transgenic rat model of RP (rhodopsin S334ter), we investigated the effects of clusterin on rod photoreceptor survival. To investigate the role of clusterin in S334ter-line3 retinas, Voronoi analysis and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the geometry of rod distribution. Additionally, immunoblot analysis, Bax activation, STAT3 and Akt phosphorylation were used to evaluate the pathway involved in rod cell protection. In this study, clusterin (10μg/ml) intravitreal treatment produced robust preservation of rod photoreceptors in S334ter-line3 retina. The mean number of rods in 1mm2 was significantly greater in clusterin injected RP retinas (postnatal (P) 30, P45, P60, & P75) than in age-matched saline injected RP retinas (P<0.01). Clusterin activated Akt, STAT3 and significantly reduced Bax activity; in addition to inducing phosphorylated STAT3 in Müller cells, which suggests it may indirectly acts on photoreceptors. Thus, clusterin treatment may interferes with mechanisms leading to rod death by suppressing cell death through activation of Akt and STAT3, followed by Bax suppression. Novel insights into the pathway of how clusterin promotes the rod cell survival suggest this treatment may be a potential therapeutic strategy to slow progression of vision loss in human RP.
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Roberts PA, Gaffney EA, Luthert PJ, Foss AJ, Byrne HM. Mathematical models of retinitis pigmentosa: The oxygen toxicity hypothesis. J Theor Biol 2017; 425:53-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2017.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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Dai J, Fu Y, Zeng Y, Li S, Qin Yin Z. Improved retinal function in RCS rats after suppressing the over-activation of mGluR5. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3546. [PMID: 28615682 PMCID: PMC5471183 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03702-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Müller cells maintain retinal synaptic homeostasis by taking up glutamate from the synaptic cleft and transporting glutamine back to the neurons. To study the interaction between Müller cells and photoreceptors, we injected either DL-α-aminoadipate or L-methionine sulfoximine–both inhibitors of glutamine synthetase–subretinally in rats. Following injection, the a-wave of the electroretinogram (ERG) was attenuated, and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) was activated. Selective antagonism of mGluR5 by 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine increased the ERG a-wave amplitude and also increased rhodopsin expression. Conversely, activation of mGluR5 by the agonist, (R,S)-2-chloro-5-hydroxyphenylglycine, decreased both the a-wave amplitude and rhodopsin expression, but upregulated expression of Gq alpha subunit and phospholipase C βIII. Overexpression of mGluR5 reduced the inward-rectifying potassium ion channel (Kir) current and decreased the expression of Kir4.1 and aquaporin-4 (AQP4). Further experiments indicated that mGluR5 formed a macromolecular complex with these two membrane channels. Lastly, increased expression of mGluR5 was found in Royal College of Surgeons rats–a model of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Inhibition of mGluR5 in this model restored the amplitude of ERG features, and reduced the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein. These results suggest that mGluR5 may be worth considering as a potential therapeutic target in RP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaman Dai
- Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400040, China.,Key Lab of Visual Damage and Regeneration & Restoration of Chongqing, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Yan Fu
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.,Key Lab of Visual Damage and Regeneration & Restoration of Chongqing, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Yuxiao Zeng
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.,Key Lab of Visual Damage and Regeneration & Restoration of Chongqing, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Shiying Li
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China. .,Key Lab of Visual Damage and Regeneration & Restoration of Chongqing, Chongqing, 400038, China.
| | - Zheng Qin Yin
- Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400040, China. .,Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China. .,Key Lab of Visual Damage and Regeneration & Restoration of Chongqing, Chongqing, 400038, China.
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Yu WQ, Grzywacz NM, Lee EJ, Field GD. Cell type-specific changes in retinal ganglion cell function induced by rod death and cone reorganization in rats. J Neurophysiol 2017; 118:434-454. [PMID: 28424296 PMCID: PMC5506261 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00826.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We have determined the impact of rod death and cone reorganization on the spatiotemporal receptive fields (RFs) and spontaneous activity of distinct retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types. We compared RGC function between healthy and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) model rats (S334ter-3) at a time when nearly all rods were lost but cones remained. This allowed us to determine the impact of rod death on cone-mediated visual signaling, a relevant time point because the diagnosis of RP frequently occurs when patients are nightblind but daytime vision persists. Following rod death, functionally distinct RGC types persisted; this indicates that parallel processing of visual input remained largely intact. However, some properties of cone-mediated responses were altered ubiquitously across RGC types, such as prolonged temporal integration and reduced spatial RF area. Other properties changed in a cell type-specific manner, such as temporal RF shape (dynamics), spontaneous activity, and direction selectivity. These observations identify the extent of functional remodeling in the retina following rod death but before cone loss. They also indicate new potential challenges to restoring normal vision by replacing lost rod photoreceptors.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study provides novel and therapeutically relevant insights to retinal function following rod death but before cone death. To determine changes in retinal output, we used a large-scale multielectrode array to simultaneously record from hundreds of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). These recordings of large-scale neural activity revealed that following the death of all rods, functionally distinct RGCs remain. However, the receptive field properties and spontaneous activity of these RGCs are altered in a cell type-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Qing Yu
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Norberto M Grzywacz
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Neuroscience, Department of Physics, and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Eun-Jin Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and
| | - Greg D Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
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Shin JA, Kim HS, Vargas A, Yu WQ, Eom YS, Craft CM, Lee EJ. Inhibition of Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 Enhances Rod Survival in the S334ter-line3 Retinitis Pigmentosa Model. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167102. [PMID: 27893855 PMCID: PMC5125676 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is one of the most common forms of inherited visual loss with the initial degeneration of rod photoreceptors, followed by a progressive cone photoreceptor deterioration. Coinciding with this visual loss, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is reorganized, which alters matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity levels. A potential pathological role of MMPs, MMP-9 in particular, involves an excitotoxicity-mediated physiological response. In the current study, we examine the MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression levels in the rhodopsin S334ter-line3 RP rat model and investigate the impact of treatment with SB-3CT, a specific MMP-9 and MMP-2 inhibitor, on rod cell survival was tested. Retinal MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression levels were quantified by immunoblot analysis from S334ter-line3 rats compared to controls. Gelatinolytic activities of MMP-9 and MMP-2 by zymography were examined. The geometry of rod death was further evaluated using Voronoi analysis. Our results revealed that MMP-9 was elevated while MMP-2 was relatively unchanged when S334ter-line 3 retinas were compared to controls. With SB-3CT treatment, we observed gelatinolytic activity of both MMPs was decreased and diminished clustering associated with rod death, in addition to a robust preservation of rod photoreceptors. These results demonstrate that up-regulation of MMP-9 in retinas of S334ter-line3 are associated with rod death. The application of SB-3CT dramatically interferes with mechanisms leading to apoptosis in an MMP-9-dependent manner. Future studies will determine the feasibility of using SB-3CT as a potential therapeutic strategy to slow progression of vision loss in genetic inherited forms of human RP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-A Shin
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwa Sun Kim
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Andrew Vargas
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Wan-Qing Yu
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Yun Sung Eom
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Cheryl Mae Craft
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Cell & Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Eun-Jin Lee
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Mathematical and computational models of the retina in health, development and disease. Prog Retin Eye Res 2016; 53:48-69. [PMID: 27063291 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2016.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The retina confers upon us the gift of vision, enabling us to perceive the world in a manner unparalleled by any other tissue. Experimental and clinical studies have provided great insight into the physiology and biochemistry of the retina; however, there are questions which cannot be answered using these methods alone. Mathematical and computational techniques can provide complementary insight into this inherently complex and nonlinear system. They allow us to characterise and predict the behaviour of the retina, as well as to test hypotheses which are experimentally intractable. In this review, we survey some of the key theoretical models of the retina in the healthy, developmental and diseased states. The main insights derived from each of these modelling studies are highlighted, as are model predictions which have yet to be tested, and data which need to be gathered to inform future modelling work. Possible directions for future research are also discussed. Whilst the present modelling studies have achieved great success in unravelling the workings of the retina, they have yet to achieve their full potential. For this to happen, greater involvement with the modelling community is required, and stronger collaborations forged between experimentalists, clinicians and theoreticians. It is hoped that, in addition to bringing the fruits of current modelling studies to the attention of the ophthalmological community, this review will encourage many such future collaborations.
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Yu WQ, Eom YS, Shin JA, Nair D, Grzywacz SXZ, Grzywacz NM, Craft CM, Lee EJ. Reshaping the Cone-Mosaic in a Rat Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa: Modulatory Role of ZO-1 Expression in DL-Alpha-Aminoadipic Acid Reshaping. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151668. [PMID: 26977812 PMCID: PMC4792433 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In S334ter-line-3 rat model of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), rod cell death induces the rearrangement of cones into mosaics of rings while the fibrotic processes of Müller cells remodel to fill the center of the rings. In contrast, previous work established that DL-alpha-aminoadipic-acid (AAA), a compound that transiently blocks Müller cell metabolism, abolishes these highly structured cone rings. Simultaneously, adherens-junction associated protein, Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) expression forms in a network between the photoreceptor segments and Müller cells processes. Thus, we hypothesized that AAA treatment alters the cone mosaic rings by disrupting the distal sealing formed by these fibrotic processes, either directly or indirectly, by down regulating the expression of ZO-1. Therefore, we examined these processes and ZO-1 expression at the outer retina after intravitreal injection of AAA and observed that AAA treatment transiently disrupts the distal glial sealing in RP retina, plus induces cones in rings to become more homogeneous. Moreover, ZO-1 expression is actively suppressed after 3 days of AAA treatment, which coincided with cone ring disruption. Similar modifications of glial sealing and cone distribution were observed after injection of siRNA to inhibit ZO-1 expression. These findings support our hypothesis and provide additional information about the critical role played by ZO-1 in glial sealing and shaping the ring mosaic in RP retina. These studies represent important advancements in the understanding of retinal degeneration's etiology and pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Qing Yu
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Yun Sung Eom
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Jung-A Shin
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Divya Nair
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Sara X. Z. Grzywacz
- Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Norberto M. Grzywacz
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington D.C., United States of America
- Department of Physics, Georgetown University, Washington D.C., United States of America
| | - Cheryl Mae Craft
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Cell & Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Eun-Jin Lee
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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Fernández-Sánchez L, Lax P, Campello L, Pinilla I, Cuenca N. Astrocytes and Müller Cell Alterations During Retinal Degeneration in a Transgenic Rat Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:484. [PMID: 26733810 PMCID: PMC4686678 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Retinitis pigmentosa includes a group of progressive retinal degenerative diseases that affect the structure and function of photoreceptors. Secondarily to the loss of photoreceptors, there is a reduction in retinal vascularization, which seems to influence the cellular degenerative process. Retinal macroglial cells, astrocytes, and Müller cells provide support for retinal neurons and are fundamental for maintaining normal retinal function. The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of macroglial changes during retinal degeneration in P23H rats. Methods: Homozygous P23H line-3 rats aged from P18 to 18 months were used to study the evolution of the disease, and SD rats were used as controls. Immunolabeling with antibodies against GFAP, vimentin, and transducin were used to visualize macroglial cells and cone photoreceptors. Results: In P23H rats, increased GFAP labeling in Müller cells was observed as an early indicator of retinal gliosis. At 4 and 12 months of age, the apical processes of Müller cells in P23H rats clustered in firework-like structures, which were associated with ring-like shaped areas of cone degeneration in the outer nuclear layer. These structures were not observed at 16 months of age. The number of astrocytes was higher in P23H rats than in the SD matched controls at 4 and 12 months of age, supporting the idea of astrocyte proliferation. As the disease progressed, astrocytes exhibited a deteriorated morphology and marked hypertrophy. The increase in the complexity of the astrocytic processes correlated with greater connexin 43 expression and higher density of connexin 43 immunoreactive puncta within the ganglion cell layer (GCL) of P23H vs. SD rat retinas. Conclusions: In the P23H rat model of retinitis pigmentosa, the loss of photoreceptors triggers major changes in the number and morphology of glial cells affecting the inner retina.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pedro Lax
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante Alicante, Spain
| | - Laura Campello
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante Alicante, Spain
| | - Isabel Pinilla
- Department of Ophthalmology, Aragon Institute for Health Research, Lozano Blesa University Hospital Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Nicolás Cuenca
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of AlicanteAlicante, Spain; Institute Ramón Margalef, University of AlicanteAlicante, Spain
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Shin JA, Eom YS, Yu WQ, Grzywacz NM, Craft CM, Lee EJ. TIMP-1 affects the spatial distribution of dendritic processes of second-order neurons in a rat model of Retinitis Pigmentosa. Exp Eye Res 2015; 140:41-52. [PMID: 26277580 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited disorder that may lead to blindness. In the rhodopsin S334ter-line-3 rat model of RP, the death of rods induces spatial rearrangement of cones into regular ring mosaics. Using this model, we discovered that the ring mosaics are restored to a homogeneous distribution upon application of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). In this study, we further investigated the cone migration and spatial distribution of second-order neurons and their connections to cones in the presence or absence of TIMP-1 using immunohistochemistry to identify retinal neurons and their connections with cones. M-opsin cell bodies and their outer segments were evaluated to determine whether TIMP-1 delays the degeneration of outer segments of cones. We observed that during cone rearrangement into ring mosaics in RP retina, dendritic processes of second-order neurons undergo remodeling to maintain their synaptic connections with the cones in the rings. TIMP-1 treatment induced the cones to rearrange and dendritic processes of second-order neurons to return to a more homogeneous spatial distribution. In addition, TIMP-1 treatment protected the outer segments of cones at later stages of retinal degeneration. Our findings clearly demonstrate that despite their dramatic spatial rearrangement, cones and second-order neuron processes maintain their synaptic connections before and after TIMP-1 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-A Shin
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, USA; Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 158-710, South Korea
| | - Yun Sung Eom
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, USA; Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wan-Qing Yu
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Norberto M Grzywacz
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington D.C, USA; Department of Physics, Georgetown University, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Cheryl Mae Craft
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, USA; Department of Cell & Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eun-Jin Lee
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Ji Y, Yu WQ, Eom YS, Bruce F, Craft CM, Grzywacz NM, Lee EJ. The effect of TIMP-1 on the cone mosaic in the retina of the rat model of retinitis pigmentosa. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2014; 56:352-64. [PMID: 25515575 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.14-15398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The array of photoreceptors found in normal retinas provides uniform and regular sampling of the visual space. In contrast, cones in retinas of the S334ter-line-3 rat model for RP migrate to form a mosaic of rings, leaving large holes with few or no photoreceptors. Similar mosaics appear in human patients with other forms of retinal dystrophy. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) on the mosaic of cones in S334ter-line-3 rat retinas. We focused on TIMP-1 because it is one of the regulators of the extracellular matrix important for cellular migration. METHODS Immunohistochemistry was performed to reveal M-opsin cone cells (M-cone) and the results were quantified to test statistically whether or not TIMP-1 restores the mosaics to normal. In particular, the tests focused on the Voronoi and nearest-neighbor distance analyses. RESULTS Our tests indicated that TIMP-1 led to significant disruption of the M-opsin cone rings in S334ter-line-3 rat retinas and resulted in almost complete homogeneous mosaics. In addition, TIMP-1 induced the M-cone spatial distribution to become closer to random with decreased regularity in S334ter-line-3 rat retinas. CONCLUSIONS These findings confirm that TIMP-1 induced M-cone mosaics in S334ter-line-3 to gain homogeneity without reaching the degree of regularity seen in normal retinal mosaics. Even if TIMP-1 fails to promote regularity, the effects of this drug on homogeneity appear to be so dramatic that TIMP-1 may be a potential therapeutic agent. TIMP-1 improves sampling of the visual field simply by causing homogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yerina Ji
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States Center for Vision Science and Technology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Wan-Qing Yu
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States Center for Vision Science and Technology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Yun Sung Eom
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Farouk Bruce
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Cheryl Mae Craft
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, USC Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Norberto M Grzywacz
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Eun-Jin Lee
- Center for Vision Science and Technology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
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Inayat S, Rountree CM, Troy JB, Saggere L. Chemical stimulation of rat retinal neurons: feasibility of an epiretinal neurotransmitter-based prosthesis. J Neural Eng 2014; 12:016010. [PMID: 25504758 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2560/12/1/016010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE No cure currently exists for photoreceptor degenerative diseases, which cause partial or total blindness in millions of people worldwide. Electrical retinal prostheses have been developed by several groups with the goal of restoring vision lost to these diseases, but electrical stimulation has limitations. It excites both somas and axons, activating retinal pathways nonphysiologically, and limits spatial resolution because of current spread. Chemical stimulation of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) using the neurotransmitter glutamate has been suggested as an alternative to electrical stimulation with some significant advantages. However, sufficient scientific data to support developing a chemical-based retinal prosthesis is lacking. The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a neurotransmitter-based retinal prosthesis and determine therapeutic stimulation parameters. APPROACH We injected controlled amounts of glutamate into rat retinas from the epiretinal side ex vivo via micropipettes using a pressure injection system and recorded RGC responses with a multielectrode array. Responsive units were identified using a spike rate threshold of 3 Hz. MAIN RESULTS We recorded both somal and axonal units and demonstrated successful glutamatergic stimulation across different RGC subtypes. Analyses show that exogenous glutamate acts on RGC synapses similar to endogenous glutamate and, unlike electrical prostheses, stimulates only RGC somata. The spatial spread of glutamate stimulation was ≈ 290 μm from the injection site, comparable to current electrical prostheses. Further, the glutamate injections produced spatially differential responses in OFF, ON, and ON-OFF RGC subtypes, suggesting that differential stimulation of the OFF and ON systems may be possible. A temporal resolution of 3.2 Hz was obtained, which is a rate suitable for spatial vision. SIGNIFICANCE We provide strong support for the feasibility of an epiretinal neurotransmitter-based retinal prosthesis. Our findings suggest that chemical stimulation of RGCs is a viable alternative to electrical stimulation and could offer distinct advantages such as the selective stimulation of RGC somata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samsoon Inayat
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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Retinal neurodegenerative changes in the adult insulin receptor substrate-2 deficient mouse. Exp Eye Res 2014; 124:1-10. [PMID: 24792588 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2014.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Revised: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Insulin receptor substrate-2 (Irs2) mediates peripheral insulin action and is essential for retinal health. Previous investigations have reported severe photoreceptor degeneration and abnormal visual function in Irs2-deficient mice. However, molecular changes in the Irs2(-)(/)(-) mouse retina have not been described. In this study, we examined retinal degenerative changes in neuronal and glial cells of adult (9- and 12-week old) Irs2(-)(/)(-) mice by immunohistochemistry. 9-week old Irs2(-)(/)(-) mice showed significant thinning of outer retinal layers, concomitant to Müller and microglial cell activation. Photoreceptor cells displayed different signs of degeneration, such as outer/inner segment atrophy, redistribution of rod- and cone-opsins and spatial disorganization of cone cells. This was accompanied by synaptic changes at the outer plexiform layer, including the retraction of rod-spherules, reduction of photoreceptor synaptic ribbons and synaptic remodeling in second order neurons (i.e. loss and sprouting of dendritic processes in rod bipolar and horizontal cells). By 12 weeks of age, the thickness of inner retinal layers was severely affected. Although inner plexiform layer stratification remained unchanged at this stage, rod bipolar cell axon terminals were significantly depleted. Significant loss of Brn3a(+) retinal ganglion cells occurred in 12-week old Irs2(-)(/)(-) mice, in contrast to younger ages. Adult Irs2(-)(/)(-) mice showed clear hallmarks of neurodegeneration and disruption of the inner retina with increasing age. Pharmacological stimulation of Irs2 signaling pathway may provide additional neuroprotection in certain degenerative retinopathies.
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24
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Benfenati V, Martino N, Antognazza MR, Pistone A, Toffanin S, Ferroni S, Lanzani G, Muccini M. Photostimulation of whole-cell conductance in primary rat neocortical astrocytes mediated by organic semiconducting thin films. Adv Healthc Mater 2014; 3:392-9. [PMID: 23966220 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201300179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Astroglial ion channels are fundamental molecular targets in the study of brain physiology and pathophysiology. Novel tools and devices intended for stimulation and control of astrocytes ion channel activity are therefore highly desirable. The study of the interactions between astrocytes and biomaterials is also essential to control and minimize reactive astrogliosis, in view of the development of implantable functional devices. Here, the growth of rat primary neocortical astrocytes on the top of a light sensitive, organic polymer film is reported; by means of patch-clamp analyses, the effect of the visible light stimulation on membrane conductance is then determined. Photoexcitation of the active material causes a significant depolarization of the astroglial resting membrane potential: the effect is associated to an increase in whole-cell conductance at negative potentials. The magnitude of the evoked inward current density is proportional to the illumination intensity. Biophysical and pharmacological characterization suggests that the ion channel mediating the photo-transduction mechanism is a chloride channel, the ClC-2 channel. These results open interesting perspectives for the selective manipulation of astrocyte bioelectrical activity by non-invasive, label-free, organic-based, photostimulation approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Benfenati
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività (ISOF); Via Gobetti 101 40129 Bologna Italy
| | - Nicola Martino
- Center for Nanoscience and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Via Pascoli 70/3 20133 Milano Italy
- Politecnico di Milano, Dip. di Fisica; Piazza L. Da Vinci 32 20133 Milano Italy
| | - Maria Rosa Antognazza
- Center for Nanoscience and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Via Pascoli 70/3 20133 Milano Italy
| | - Assunta Pistone
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività (ISOF); Via Gobetti 101 40129 Bologna Italy
| | - Stefano Toffanin
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati (ISMN); Via P. Gobetti 101 40129 Bologna Italy
| | - Stefano Ferroni
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology; University of Bologna; Via S. Donato, 19/2 40127 Bologna Italy
| | - Guglielmo Lanzani
- Center for Nanoscience and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Via Pascoli 70/3 20133 Milano Italy
- Politecnico di Milano, Dip. di Fisica; Piazza L. Da Vinci 32 20133 Milano Italy
| | - Michele Muccini
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati (ISMN); Via P. Gobetti 101 40129 Bologna Italy
- E. T. C. s.r.l.; via P. Gobetti 101 I-40129 Bologna Italy
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25
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Dudok JJ, Sanz AS, Lundvig DMS, Sothilingam V, Garrido MG, Klooster J, Seeliger MW, Wijnholds J. MPP3 regulates levels of PALS1 and adhesion between photoreceptors and Müller cells. Glia 2013; 61:1629-44. [DOI: 10.1002/glia.22545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Revised: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacobus J. Dudok
- Department of Neuromedical Genetics; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience; Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences; 1105; BA Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Alicia Sanz Sanz
- Department of Neuromedical Genetics; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience; Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences; 1105; BA Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Ditte M. S. Lundvig
- Department of Neuromedical Genetics; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience; Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences; 1105; BA Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Vithiyanjali Sothilingam
- Division of Ocular Neurodegeneration; Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen; 72076; Tübingen; Germany
| | - Marina Garcia Garrido
- Division of Ocular Neurodegeneration; Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen; 72076; Tübingen; Germany
| | - Jan Klooster
- Department of Retinal Signal Processing; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience; Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences; 1105; BA Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Mathias W. Seeliger
- Division of Ocular Neurodegeneration; Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen; 72076; Tübingen; Germany
| | - Jan Wijnholds
- Department of Neuromedical Genetics; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience; Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences; 1105; BA Amsterdam; The Netherlands
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Chua J, Nivison-Smith L, Fletcher EL, Trenholm S, Awatramani GB, Kalloniatis M. Early remodeling of müller cells in therd/rdmouse model of retinal dystrophy. J Comp Neurol 2013; 521:2439-53. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.23307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2012] [Revised: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 01/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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27
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Spatiotemporal pattern of rod degeneration in the S334ter-line-3 rat model of retinitis pigmentosa. Cell Tissue Res 2012; 351:29-40. [DOI: 10.1007/s00441-012-1522-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2012] [Accepted: 10/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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28
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Ji Y, Zhu CL, Grzywacz NM, Lee EJ. Rearrangement of the cone mosaic in the retina of the rat model of retinitis pigmentosa. J Comp Neurol 2012; 520:874-88. [PMID: 22102145 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the death of cones normally follows some time after the degeneration of rods. Recently, surviving cones in RP have been studied and reported in detail. These cones undergo extensive remodeling in their morphology. Here we report an extension of the remodeling study to consider possible modifications of spatial-distribution patterns. For this purpose we used S334ter-line-3 transgenic rats, a transgenic model developed to express a rhodopsin mutation causing RP. In this study, retinas were collected at postnatal (P) days P5-30, 90, 180, and P600. We then immunostained the retinas to examine the morphology and distribution of cones and to quantify the total cone numbers. Our results indicate that cones undergo extensive changes in their spatial distribution to give rise to a mosaic comprising an orderly array of rings. These rings first begin to appear at P15 at random regions of the retina and become ubiquitous throughout the entire tissue by P90. Such distribution pattern loses its clarity by P180 and mostly disappears at P600, at which time the cones are almost all dead. In contrast, the numbers of cones in RP and normal conditions do not show significant differences at stages as late as P180. Therefore, rings do not form by cell death at their centers, but by cone migration. We discuss its possible mechanisms and suggest a role for hot spots of rod death and the remodeling of Müller cell process into zones of low density of photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yerina Ji
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1111, USA
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