Complement Activation in Retinal Degeneration

Constitutive and Stress-induced Expression of CCL5 Machinery in Rodent Retina

Signaling by inflammatory cytokines and chemokines is associated with neurodegeneration in disease and injury. Here we examined expression of the β-chemokine CCL5 and its receptors in the mouse retina and evaluated its relevance in glaucoma, a common optic neuropathy associated with sensitivity to intraocular pressure (IOP). Using quantitative PCR, fluorescent in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and quantitative image analysis, we found CCL5 mRNA and protein was constitutively expressed in the inner retina and synaptic layers. CCL5 appeared to associate with Müller cells and RGCs as well as synaptic connections between horizontal cells and bipolar cells in the OPL and amacrine cells, bipolar cells and RGCs in the IPL. Although all three high-affinity receptors (CCR5, CCR3, CCR1) for CCL5 were expressed constitutively, CCR5 expression was significantly higher than CCR3, which was also markedly greater than CCR1. Localization patterns for constitutive CCR5, CCR3 and CCR1 expression differed, particularly with respect to expression in inner retinal neurons. Stress-related expression of CCL5 was primarily altered in aged DBA/2 mice with elevated IOP. In contrast, changes in expression and localization of both CCR3 and CCR5 were evident not only in aged DBA/2 mice, but also in age-matched control mice and young DBA/2 mice. These groups do not exhibit elevated IOP, but possess either the aging stress (control mice) or the genetic predisposition to glaucoma (DBA/2 mice). Together, these data indicate that CCL5 and its high-affinity receptors are constitutively expressed in murine retina and differentially induced by stressors associated with glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Localization patterns further indicate that CCL5 signaling may be relevant for modulation of synapses in both health and disease, particularly in the inner plexiform layer.

Retinal metabolic events in preconditioning light stress as revealed by wide-spectrum targeted metabolomics

INTRODUCTION

Light is the primary stimulus for vision, but may also cause damage to the retina. Pre-exposing the retina to sub-lethal amount of light (or preconditioning) improves chances for retinal cells to survive acute damaging light stress.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims at exploring the changes in retinal metabolome after mild light stress and identifying mechanisms that may be involved in preconditioning.

METHODS

Retinas from 12 rats exposed to mild light stress (1000 lux × for 12 h) and 12 controls were collected one and seven days after light stress (LS). One retina was used for targeted metabolomics analysis using the Biocrates p180 kit while the fellow retina was used for histological and immunohistochemistry analysis.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemistry confirmed that in this experiment, a mild LS with retinal immune response and minimal photoreceptor loss occurred. Compared to controls, LS induced an increased concentration in phosphatidylcholines. The concentration in some amino acids and biogenic amines, particularly those related to the nitric oxide pathway (like asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), arginine and citrulline) also increased 1 day after LS. 7 days after LS, the concentration in two sphingomyelins and phenylethylamine was found to be higher. We further found that in controls, retina metabolome was different between males and females: male retinas had an increased concentration in tyrosine, acetyl-ornithine, phosphatidylcholines and (acyl)-carnitines.

CONCLUSIONS

Besides retinal sexual metabolic dimorphism, this study shows that preconditioning is mostly associated with re-organisation of lipid metabolism and changes in amino acid composition, likely reflecting the involvement of arginine-dependent NO signalling.

Retinal microglia: just bystander or target for therapy?

Resident microglial cells can be regarded as the immunological watchdogs of the brain and the retina. They are active sensors of their neuronal microenvironment and rapidly respond to various insults with a morphological and functional transformation into reactive phagocytes. There is strong evidence from animal models and in situ analyses of human tissue that microglial reactivity is a common hallmark of various retinal degenerative and inflammatory diseases. These include rare hereditary retinopathies such as retinitis pigmentosa and X-linked juvenile retinoschisis but also comprise more common multifactorial retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and uveitis as well as neurological disorders with ocular manifestation. In this review, we describe how microglial function is kept in balance under normal conditions by cross-talk with other retinal cells and summarize how microglia respond to different forms of retinal injury. In addition, we present the concept that microglia play a key role in local regulation of complement in the retina and specify aspects of microglial aging relevant for chronic inflammatory processes in the retina. We conclude that this resident immune cell of the retina cannot be simply regarded as bystander of disease but may instead be a potential therapeutic target to be modulated in the treatment of degenerative and inflammatory diseases of the retina.

Oxidative stress sensitizes retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells to complement-mediated injury in a natural antibody-, lectin pathway-, and phospholipid epitope-dependent manner

Uncontrolled activation of the alternative complement pathway (AP) is thought to be associated with age-related macular degeneration. Previously, we have shown that in retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) monolayers, oxidative stress reduced complement inhibition on the cell surface, resulting in sublytic complement activation and loss of transepithelial resistance (TER), but the potential ligand and pathway involved are unknown. ARPE-19 cells were grown as monolayers on transwell plates, and sublytic complement activation was induced with H2O2 and normal human serum. TER deteriorated rapidly in H2O2-exposed monolayers upon adding normal human serum. Although the effect required AP activation, AP was not sufficient, because elimination of MASP, but not C1q, prevented TER reduction. Reconstitution experiments to unravel essential components of the lectin pathway (LP) showed that both ficolin and mannan-binding lectin can activate the LP through natural IgM antibodies (IgM-C2) that recognize phospholipid cell surface modifications on oxidatively stressed RPE cells. The same epitopes were found on human primary embryonic RPE monolayers. Likewise, mouse laser-induced choroidal neovascularization, an injury that involves LP activation, could be increased in antibody-deficient rag1(-/-) mice using the phospholipid-specific IgM-C2. In summary, using a combination of depletion and reconstitution strategies, we have shown that the LP is required to initiate the complement cascade following natural antibody recognition of neoepitopes, which is then further amplified by the AP. LP activation is triggered by IgM bound to phospholipids. Taken together, we have defined novel mechanisms of complement activation in oxidatively stressed RPE, linking molecular events involved in age-related macular degeneration, including the presence of natural antibodies and neoepitopes.