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Yin GS, van der Heide F, Littlejohns TJ, Kuźma E, Hayat S, Brayne C, Foster PJ, Luben R, Khawaja AP. Association Between Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness and Incident Dementia in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk Cohort. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 95:691-702. [PMID: 37574729 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness may reflect cerebral status. OBJECTIVE This study assessed the relationship between RNFL thickness and incident all-cause dementia in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk (EPIC-Norfolk) Eye Study. METHODS Glaucoma detection with variable corneal compensation (GDx-VCC) and Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph II (HRT II) derived global mean RNFL thickness from dementia-free participants at baseline within the EPIC-Norfolk Eye Study were analyzed. Incident dementia was identified through linkage to electronic medical records. Cox proportional hazard mixed-effects regression models adjusted for key confounders were used to examine the associations between RNFL thickness and incident dementia in four separate models. RESULTS 6,239 participants were included with 322 cases of incident dementia and mean age of 67.5-years old, with 49.7% women (median follow-up 13.2-years, interquartile range (11.7 to 14.6 years). Greater RNFL thickness (GDx-VCC) was not significantly associated with a lower risk of incident dementia in the full adjusted model [HR per quartile increase 0.95; 95% CI 0.82-1.10]. Similarly, RNFL thickness assessed with HRT II was also not associated with incident dementia in any model (full adjusted model; HR per quartile increase: 1.06; [95% CI 0.93-1.19]. Gender did not modify any associations under study. CONCLUSION GDx-VCC and HRT II derived RNFL thickness are unlikely to be useful predictors of incident dementia. Higher resolution optical imaging technologies may clarify whether there are useful relationships between neuro-retinal morphology and brain measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace S Yin
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
| | - Frank van der Heide
- Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | | | - Elżbieta Kuźma
- Albertinen-Haus Centre for Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Shabina Hayat
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, England, UK
| | - Carol Brayne
- Cambridge Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul J Foster
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Robert Luben
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Anthony P Khawaja
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
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You M, Rong R, Zeng Z, Li H, Xia X, Ji D. Single-cell RNA sequencing: A new opportunity for retinal research. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2021; 12:e1652. [PMID: 33754496 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a technology for single-cell transcriptome analysis that can be used to characterize complex dynamics of various retinal cell types. It provides deep scrutiny into the gene expression character of diverse cell types, lending insight into all the biological processes being carried out. The scRNA-seq is an alternative to regular RNA-seq, which does not achieve cellular heterogeneity. The retina, is a part of the central nervous system (CNS) and consists of six types of neurons and several types of glial cells. Studying retinal cell heterogeneity is important for understanding retinal diseases. Currently, scRNA-seq is employed to assess retina development and retinal disease pathogenesis and has improved our understanding of the relationship between the retina, its visual pathways, and the brain. Moreover, this technology provides new ideas on the sensitivity and molecular mechanisms of cell subtypes involved in retinal-related diseases. The application of scRNA-seq technology has given us a deeper understanding of the latest advancements and challenges in retinal development and diseases. We advocate scRNA-seq as one of the important tools for developing novel therapies for retinal diseases. This article is categorized under: RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Development RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengling You
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Rong Rong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhou Zeng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Haibo Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaobo Xia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Dan Ji
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Song HB, Jung BK, Kim JH, Lee YH, Choi MH, Kim JH. Investigation of tissue cysts in the retina in a mouse model of ocular toxoplasmosis: distribution and interaction with glial cells. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:2597-2605. [PMID: 29858945 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5950-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The conversion of tachyzoites into bradyzoites is a way for Toxoplasma gondii to establish a chronic and asymptomatic infection and achieve lifelong persistence in the host. The bradyzoites form tissue cysts in the retina, but not much is known about the horizontal distribution of the cysts or their interactions with glial cells in the retina. A chronic ocular toxoplasmosis model was induced by per oral administration of T. gondii Me49 strain cysts to BALB/c mice. Two months after the infection, retinas were flat-mounted and immunostained to detect cysts, ganglion cells, Müller cells, astrocytes, and microglial cells, followed by observation under fluorescence and confocal microscope. The horizontal distribution showed a rather clustered pattern, but the clusters were not restricted to certain location of the retina. Axial distribution was confined to the inner retina, mostly in ganglion cell layer or the inner plexiform layer. Both ganglion cells, a type of retinal neurons, and Müller cells, predominant retinal glial cells, could harbor cysts. The cysts were spatially separated from astrocytes, the most abundant glial cells in the ganglion cell layer, while close spatial distribution of microglial cells was observed in two thirds of retinal cysts. In this study, we demonstrated that the retinal cysts were not evenly distributed horizontally and were confined to the inner retina axially. Both neurons and one type of glial cells could harbor cysts, and topographic analysis of other glial cells suggests role of microglial cells in chronic ocular toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Beom Song
- Fight against Angiogenesis-Related Blindness (FARB) Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kwang Jung
- Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jin Hyoung Kim
- Fight against Angiogenesis-Related Blindness (FARB) Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young-Ha Lee
- Department of Infection Biology, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Min-Ho Choi
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jeong Hun Kim
- Fight against Angiogenesis-Related Blindness (FARB) Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea. .,Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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Bhattacharyya N, Darren B, Schott RK, Tropepe V, Chang BSW. Cone-like rhodopsin expressed in the all cone retina of the colubrid pine snake as a potential adaptation to diurnality. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:2418-2425. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.156430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Colubridae is the largest and most diverse family of snakes, with visual systems that reflect this diversity, encompassing a variety of retinal photoreceptor organizations. The transmutation theory proposed by Walls postulates that photoreceptors could evolutionarily transition between cell types in squamates, but few studies have tested this theory. Recently, evidence for transmutation and rod-like machinery in an all cone retina has been identified in a diurnal garter snake (Thamnophis), and it appears that the rhodopsin gene at least may be widespread among colubrid snakes. However, functional evidence supporting transmutation beyond the existence of the rhodopsin gene remains rare. We examined the all cone retina of another colubrid, Pituophis melanoleucus, thought to be more secretive/burrowing than Thamnophis. We found that P. melanoleucus expresses two cone opsins (SWS1, LWS) and rhodopsin (RH1) within the eye. Immunohistochemistry localized rhodopsin to the outer segment of photoreceptors in the all-cone retina of the snake and all opsin genes produced functional visual pigments when expressed in vitro. Consistent with other studies, we found that P. melanoleucus rhodopsin is extremely blue-shifted. Surprisingly, P. melanoleucus rhodopsin reacted with hydroxylamine, a typical cone opsin characteristic. These results support the idea that the rhodopsin-containing photoreceptors of P. melanoleucus are the products of evolutionary transmutation from rod ancestors, and suggests that this phenomenon may be widespread in colubrid snakes. We hypothesize that transmutation may be an adaptation for diurnal, brighter-light vision, which could result in increased spectral sensitivity and chromatic discrimination with the potential for colour vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nihar Bhattacharyya
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benedict Darren
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryan K. Schott
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vincent Tropepe
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, M5T 3A9, Canada
- Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Belinda S. W. Chang
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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