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Lin F, Li Y, Wang J, Jardines S, King R, Chrenek MA, Wiggs JL, Boatright JH, Geisert EE. POU6F2, a risk factor for glaucoma, myopia and dyslexia, labels specific populations of retinal ganglion cells. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10096. [PMID: 38698014 PMCID: PMC11066091 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60444-5] [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] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Pou6f2 is a genetic connection between central corneal thickness (CCT) in the mouse and a risk factor for developing primary open-angle glaucoma. POU6F2 is also a risk factor for several conditions in humans, including glaucoma, myopia, and dyslexia. Recent findings demonstrate that POU6F2-positive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) comprise a number of RGC subtypes in the mouse, some of which also co-stain for Cdh6 and Hoxd10. These POU6F2-positive RGCs appear to be novel of ON-OFF directionally selective ganglion cells (ooDSGCs) that do not co-stain with CART or SATB2 (typical ooDSGCs markers). These POU6F2-positive cells are sensitive to damage caused by elevated intraocular pressure. In the DBA/2J mouse glaucoma model, heavily-labeled POU6F2 RGCs decrease by 73% at 8 months of age compared to only 22% loss of total RGCs (labeled with RBPMS). Additionally, Pou6f2-/- mice suffer a significant loss of acuity and spatial contrast sensitivity along with an 11.4% loss of total RGCs. In the rhesus macaque retina, POU6F2 labels the large parasol ganglion cells that form the magnocellular (M) pathway. The association of POU6F2 with the M-pathway may reveal in part its role in human glaucoma, myopia, and dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyu Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jiaxing Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Sandra Jardines
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Rebecca King
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Micah A Chrenek
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Janey L Wiggs
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Boatright
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Atlanta Veterans Administration Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Eldon E Geisert
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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2
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Lin F, Lin ST, Wang J, Geisert EE. Optimizing retinal ganglion cell nuclear staining for automated cell counting. Exp Eye Res 2024; 242:109881. [PMID: 38554800 PMCID: PMC11055661 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2024.109881] [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] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) serve as the critical pathway for transmitting visual information from the retina to the brain, yet they can be dramatically impacted by diseases such as glaucoma. When investigating disease processes affecting RGCs in mouse models, accurately quantifying affected cells becomes essential. However, the use of pan RGC markers like RBPMS or THY1 presents challenges in accurate total cell counting. While Brn3a serves as a reliable RGC nuclear marker for automated counting, it fails to encompass all RGC subtypes in mice. To address this limitation and enable precise automated counting, our research endeavors to develop a method for labeling nuclei in all RGC subtypes. Investigating RGC subtypes labeled with the nuclear marker POU6F2 revealed that numerous RGCs unlabeled by Brn3a were, in fact, labeled with POU6F2. We hypothesize that using antibodies against both Brn3a and POU6F2 would label virtually all RGC nuclei in the mouse retina. Our experiments confirmed that staining retinas with both markers resulted in the labeling of all RGCs. Additionally, when using the cell body marker RBPMS known to label all mouse RGCs, all RBPMS-labeled cells also exhibited Brn3a or POU6F2 labeling. This combination of Brn3a and POU6F2 antibodies provides a pan-RGC nuclear stain, facilitating accurate automated counting by labeling cell nuclei in the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyu Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Su-Ting Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jiaxing Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Eldon E Geisert
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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3
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Hsueh HT, Chou RT, Rai U, Kolodziejski P, Liyanage W, Pejavar J, Mozzer A, Davison C, Appell MB, Kim YC, Leo KT, Kwon H, Sista M, Anders NM, Hemingway A, Rompicharla SVK, Pitha I, Zack DJ, Hanes J, Cummings MP, Ensign LM. Engineered peptide-drug conjugate provides sustained protection of retinal ganglion cells with topical administration in rats. J Control Release 2023; 362:371-380. [PMID: 37657693 PMCID: PMC10591956 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.08.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Effective eye drop delivery systems for treating diseases of the posterior segment have yet to be clinically validated. Further, adherence to eye drop regimens is often problematic due to the difficulty and inconvenience of repetitive dosing. Here, we describe a strategy for topically dosing a peptide-drug conjugate to achieve effective and sustained therapeutic sunitinib concentrations to protect retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in a rat model of optic nerve injury. We combined two promising delivery technologies, namely, a hypotonic gel-forming eye drop delivery system, and an engineered melanin binding and cell-penetrating peptide that sustains intraocular drug residence time. We found that once daily topical dosing of HR97-SunitiGel provided up to 2 weeks of neuroprotection after the last dose, effectively doubling the therapeutic window observed with SunitiGel. For chronic ocular diseases affecting the posterior segment, the convenience of an eye drop combined with intermittent dosing frequency could result in greater patient adherence, and thus, improved disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry T Hsueh
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Renee Ti Chou
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Usha Rai
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Patricia Kolodziejski
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Wathsala Liyanage
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jahnavi Pejavar
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ann Mozzer
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Charlotte Davison
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Matthew B Appell
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yoo Chun Kim
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kirby T Leo
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - HyeYoung Kwon
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Maanasa Sista
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Nicole M Anders
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Avelina Hemingway
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sri Vishnu Kiran Rompicharla
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ian Pitha
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Donald J Zack
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Departments of Neuroscience, Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Justin Hanes
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael P Cummings
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Laura M Ensign
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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4
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Nadal-Nicolás FM, Galindo-Romero C, Lucas-Ruiz F, Marsh-Amstrong N, Li W, Vidal-Sanz M, Agudo-Barriuso M. Pan-retinal ganglion cell markers in mice, rats, and rhesus macaques. Zool Res 2023; 44:226-248. [PMID: 36594396 PMCID: PMC9841181 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Univocal identification of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is an essential prerequisite for studying their degeneration and neuroprotection. Before the advent of phenotypic markers, RGCs were normally identified using retrograde tracing of retinorecipient areas. This is an invasive technique, and its use is precluded in higher mammals such as monkeys. In the past decade, several RGC markers have been described. Here, we reviewed and analyzed the specificity of nine markers used to identify all or most RGCs, i.e., pan-RGC markers, in rats, mice, and macaques. The best markers in the three species in terms of specificity, proportion of RGCs labeled, and indicators of viability were BRN3A, expressed by vision-forming RGCs, and RBPMS, expressed by vision- and non-vision-forming RGCs. NEUN, often used to identify RGCs, was expressed by non-RGCs in the ganglion cell layer, and therefore was not RGC-specific. γ-SYN, TUJ1, and NF-L labeled the RGC axons, which impaired the detection of their somas in the central retina but would be good for studying RGC morphology. In rats, TUJ1 and NF-L were also expressed by non-RGCs. BM88, ERRβ, and PGP9.5 are rarely used as markers, but they identified most RGCs in the rats and macaques and ERRβ in mice. However, PGP9.5 was also expressed by non-RGCs in rats and macaques and BM88 and ERRβ were not suitable markers of viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco M Nadal-Nicolás
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain
- Dpto. Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30120, Spain
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510, USA
| | - Caridad Galindo-Romero
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain
- Dpto. Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30120, Spain
| | - Fernando Lucas-Ruiz
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain
- Dpto. Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30120, Spain
| | - Nicholas Marsh-Amstrong
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510, USA
| | - Manuel Vidal-Sanz
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain
- Dpto. Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30120, Spain. E-mail:
| | - Marta Agudo-Barriuso
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain
- Dpto. Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30120, Spain. E-mail:
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5
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Sheng S, Ma Y, Zou Y, Hu F, Chen L. Protective effects of blocking PD-1 pathway on retinal ganglion cells in a mouse model of chronic ocular hypertension. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1094132. [PMID: 36741384 PMCID: PMC9889850 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1094132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose In this study, we aimed to investigate whether Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1/programmed cell death 1 ligand 2 (PD-L1/PD-L2) double knockout (dKO) has a protective effect on RGCs in a mouse model of chronic ocular hypertension (COHT). Methods We used superparamagnetic iron oxide to induce COHT in mice. Apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and activation of microglia were evaluated using western blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence staining of the mouse retina. In addition, we also conducted transcriptome sequencing and further gene expression analyses using the gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG) database. Results In the mouse model of COHT, PD-L1/PD-L2 prevented the apoptosis of RGCs to some extent. Blocking the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) pathway also increased the number of anti-inflammatory M2-activated microglia and enhanced the phosphorylation of its related pathway signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)6. Sequencing results showed that this protective effect may have been achieved by regulating the NF-B, tumour necrosis factor (TNF), PI3K/Akt and toll-like receptor signaling pathway etc. Conclusion Blocking the PD-1 pathway has a protective effect on RGCs in the mouse model of COHT induced by superparamagnetic iron oxide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Sheng
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Eye & Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Hospital, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,Key National Health Coucil (NHC) Key Laboratory of Myopia, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Eye & Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Hospital, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yixian Ma
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Eye & Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Hospital, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,Key National Health Coucil (NHC) Key Laboratory of Myopia, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Eye & Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Hospital, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Zou
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Eye & Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Hospital, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,Key National Health Coucil (NHC) Key Laboratory of Myopia, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Eye & Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Hospital, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangyuan Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Eye & Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Hospital, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,Key National Health Coucil (NHC) Key Laboratory of Myopia, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Eye & Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Hospital, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Eye & Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Hospital, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,Key National Health Coucil (NHC) Key Laboratory of Myopia, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Eye & Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Hospital, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,*Correspondence: Ling Chen,
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6
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Zhang J, Huo YB, Yang JL, Wang XZ, Yan BY, Du XH, Hao RQ, Yang F, Liu JX, Liu L, Liu Y, Zhang HB. Automatic counting of retinal ganglion cells in the entire mouse retina based on improved YOLOv5. Zool Res 2022; 43:738-749. [PMID: 35927396 PMCID: PMC9486514 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is characterized by the progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), although the pathogenic mechanism remains largely unknown. To study the mechanism and assess RGC degradation, mouse models are often used to simulate human glaucoma and specific markers are used to label and quantify RGCs. However, manually counting RGCs is time-consuming and prone to distortion due to subjective bias. Furthermore, semi-automated counting methods can produce significant differences due to different parameters, thereby failing objective evaluation. Here, to improve counting accuracy and efficiency, we developed an automated algorithm based on the improved YOLOv5 model, which uses five channels instead of one, with a squeeze-and-excitation block added. The complete number of RGCs in an intact mouse retina was obtained by dividing the retina into small overlapping areas and counting, and then merging the divided areas using a non-maximum suppression algorithm. The automated quantification results showed very strong correlation (mean Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.993) with manual counting. Importantly, the model achieved an average precision of 0.981. Furthermore, the graphics processing unit (GPU) calculation time for each retina was less than 1 min. The developed software has been uploaded online as a free and convenient tool for studies using mouse models of glaucoma, which should help elucidate disease pathogenesis and potential therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- MOEMIL Laboratory, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
| | - Yi-Bo Huo
- MOEMIL Laboratory, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
| | - Jia-Liang Yang
- Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Xiang-Zhou Wang
- MOEMIL Laboratory, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
| | - Bo-Yun Yan
- MOEMIL Laboratory, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
| | - Xiao-Hui Du
- MOEMIL Laboratory, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
| | - Ru-Qian Hao
- MOEMIL Laboratory, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Juan-Xiu Liu
- MOEMIL Laboratory, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
| | - Lin Liu
- MOEMIL Laboratory, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China. E-mail:
| | - Yong Liu
- MOEMIL Laboratory, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
| | - Hou-Bin Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China. E-mail:
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7
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Deng W, Hedberg-Buenz A, Soukup DA, Taghizadeh S, Wang K, Anderson MG, Garvin MK. AxonDeep: Automated Optic Nerve Axon Segmentation in Mice With Deep Learning. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2021; 10:22. [PMID: 34932117 PMCID: PMC8709929 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.10.14.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Optic nerve damage is the principal feature of glaucoma and contributes to vision loss in many diseases. In animal models, nerve health has traditionally been assessed by human experts that grade damage qualitatively or manually quantify axons from sampling limited areas from histologic cross sections of nerve. Both approaches are prone to variability and are time consuming. First-generation automated approaches have begun to emerge, but all have significant shortcomings. Here, we seek improvements through use of deep-learning approaches for segmenting and quantifying axons from cross-sections of mouse optic nerve. Methods Two deep-learning approaches were developed and evaluated: (1) a traditional supervised approach using a fully convolutional network trained with only labeled data and (2) a semisupervised approach trained with both labeled and unlabeled data using a generative-adversarial-network framework. Results From comparisons with an independent test set of images with manually marked axon centers and boundaries, both deep-learning approaches outperformed an existing baseline automated approach and similarly to two independent experts. Performance of the semisupervised approach was superior and implemented into AxonDeep. Conclusions AxonDeep performs automated quantification and segmentation of axons from healthy-appearing nerves and those with mild to moderate degrees of damage, similar to that of experts without the variability and constraints associated with manual performance. Translational Relevance Use of deep learning for axon quantification provides rapid, objective, and higher throughput analysis of optic nerve that would otherwise not be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiang Deng
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Iowa City VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Adam Hedberg-Buenz
- Iowa City VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Dana A Soukup
- Iowa City VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Sima Taghizadeh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Michael G Anderson
- Iowa City VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Mona K Garvin
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Iowa City VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, IA, USA
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8
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van der Heide CJ, Meyer KJ, Hedberg-Buenz A, Pellack D, Pomernackas N, Mercer HE, Anderson MG. Quantification and image-derived phenotyping of retinal ganglion cell nuclei in the nee mouse model of congenital glaucoma. Exp Eye Res 2021; 212:108774. [PMID: 34597676 PMCID: PMC8608716 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The nee mouse model exhibits characteristic features of congenital glaucoma, a common cause of childhood blindness. The current study of nee mice had two components. First, the time course of neurodegeneration in nee retinal flat-mounts was studied over time using a retinal ganglion cell (RGC)-marker, BRN3A; a pan-nuclear marker, TO-PRO-3; and H&E staining. Based on segmentation of nuclei using ImageJ and RetFM-J, this analysis identified a rapid loss of BRN3A+ nuclei from 4 to 15 weeks of age, with the first statistically significant difference in average density compared to age-matched controls detected in 8-week-old cohorts (49% reduction in nee). Consistent with a model of glaucoma, no reductions in BRN3A- nuclei were detected, but the combined analysis indicated that some RGCs lost BRN3A marker expression prior to actual cell loss. These results have a practical application in the design of experiments using nee mice to study mechanisms or potential therapies for congenital glaucoma. The second component of the study pertains to a discovery-based analysis of the large amount of image data with 748,782 segmented retinal nuclei. Using the automatedly collected region of interest feature data captured by ImageJ, we tested whether RGC density of glaucomatous mice was significantly correlated to average nuclear area, perimeter, Feret diameter, or MinFeret diameter. These results pointed to two events influencing nuclear size. For variations in RGC density above approximately 3000 nuclei/mm2 apparent spreading was observed, in which BRN3A- nuclei-regardless of genotype-became slightly larger as RGC density decreased. This same spreading occurred in BRN3A+ nuclei of wild-type mice. For variation in RGC density below 3000 nuclei/mm2, which only occurred in glaucomatous nee mutants, BRN3A+ nuclei became smaller as disease was progressively severe. These observations have relevance to defining RGCs of relatively higher sensitivity to glaucomatous cell death and the nuclear dynamics occurring during their demise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly J van der Heide
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Kacie J Meyer
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Adam Hedberg-Buenz
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA; VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, 601 Hwy 6 West (151), Iowa City, IA, 52246, USA.
| | - Danielle Pellack
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Nicholas Pomernackas
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Hannah E Mercer
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Michael G Anderson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA; VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, 601 Hwy 6 West (151), Iowa City, IA, 52246, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
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9
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Cwerman-Thibault H, Lechauve C, Malko-Baverel V, Augustin S, Le Guilloux G, Reboussin É, Degardin-Chicaud J, Simonutti M, Debeir T, Corral-Debrinski M. Neuroglobin effectively halts vision loss in Harlequin mice at an advanced stage of optic nerve degeneration. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 159:105483. [PMID: 34400304 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105483] [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: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial diseases are among the most prevalent groups of inherited neurological disorders, affecting up to 1 in 5000 adults. Despite the progress achieved on the identification of gene mutations causing mitochondrial pathologies, they cannot be cured so far. Harlequin mice, a relevant model of mitochondrial pathology due to apoptosis inducing factor depletion, suffer from progressive disappearance of retinal ganglion cells leading to optic neuropathy. In our previous work, we showed that administering adeno-associated virus encompassing the coding sequences for neuroglobin, (a neuroprotective molecule belonging to the globin family) or apoptosis-inducing factor, before neurodegeneration onset, prevented retinal ganglion cell loss and preserved visual function. One of the challenges to develop an effective treatment for optic neuropathies is to consider that by the time patients become aware of their handicap, a large amount of nerve fibers has already disappeared. Gene therapy was performed in Harlequin mice aged between 4 and 5 months with either a neuroglobin or an apoptosis-inducing factor vector to determine whether the increased abundance of either one of these proteins in retinas could preserve visual function at this advanced stage of the disease. We demonstrated that gene therapy, by preserving the connectivity of transduced retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve bioenergetics, results in the enhancement of visual cortex activity, ultimately rescuing visual impairment. This study demonstrates that: (a) An increased abundance of neuroglobin functionally overcomes apoptosis-inducing factor absence in Harlequin mouse retinas at a late stage of neuronal degeneration; (b) The beneficial effect for visual function could be mediated by neuroglobin localization to the mitochondria, thus contributing to the maintenance of the organelle homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christophe Lechauve
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | | | - Sébastien Augustin
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | | | - Élodie Reboussin
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | | | - Manuel Simonutti
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
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10
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Gai H, Wang Y, Chan LLH, Chiu B. Identification of Retinal Ganglion Cells from β-III Stained Fluorescent Microscopic Images. J Digit Imaging 2021; 33:1352-1363. [PMID: 32705432 DOI: 10.1007/s10278-020-00365-7] [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] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Optic nerve crush in mouse model is widely used for investigating the course following retinal ganglion cell (RGCs) injury. Manual cell counting from β-III tubulin stained microscopic images has been routinely performed to monitor RGCs after an optic nerve crush injury, but is time-consuming and prone to observer variability. This paper describes an automatic technique for RGC identification. We developed and validated (i) a sensitive cell candidate segmentation scheme and (ii) a classifier that removed false positives while retaining true positives. Two major contributions were made in cell candidate segmentation. First, a homomorphic filter was designed to adjust for the inhomogeneous illumination caused by uneven penetration of β-III tubulin antibody. Second, the optimal segmentation parameters for cell detection are highly image-specific. To address this issue, we introduced an offline-online parameter tuning approach. Offline tuning optimized model parameters based on training images and online tuning further optimized the parameters at the testing stage without needing access to the ground truth. In the cell identification stage, 31 geometric, statistical and textural features were extracted from each segmented cell candidate, which was subsequently classified as true or false positives by support vector machine. The homomorphic filter and the online parameter tuning approach together increased cell recall by 28%. The entire pipeline attained a recall, precision and coefficient of determination (r2) of 85.3%, 97.1% and 0.994. The availability of the proposed pipeline will allow efficient, accurate and reproducible RGC quantification required for assessing the death/survival of RGCs in disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Gai
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Leanne L H Chan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Bernard Chiu
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
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11
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Systemic Treatment with Nicotinamide Riboside Is Protective in Two Mouse Models of Retinal Ganglion Cell Damage. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13060893. [PMID: 34208613 PMCID: PMC8235058 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13060893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma etiology often includes retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death associated with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). However, even when IOP is managed well, disease can progress. It is thus important to develop therapeutic approaches that directly protect RGCs in an IOP-independent manner. Compromised nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) metabolism occurs in neurodegenerative diseases, including models of glaucoma. Here we report testing the protective effects of prophylactically systemically administered nicotinamide riboside (NR), a NAD+ precursor, in a mouse model of acute RGC damage (optic nerve crush (ONC)), and in a chronic model of RGC degeneration (ocular hypertension induced by intracameral injection of microbeads). For both models, treatment enhanced RGC survival, assessed by counting cells in retinal flatmounts immunostained for Brn3a+. In the ONC model, treatment preserved RGC function, as assessed by pattern electroretinogram, and suppressed retinal inflammation, as assessed by immunofluorescence staining of retinal fixed sections for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). This is the first study to demonstrate that systemic treatment with NR is protective in acute and chronic models of RGC damage. The protection is significant and, considering that NR is highly bioavailable in and well-tolerated by humans, may support the proposition of prospective human subject studies.
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12
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Bernhard CJ, Sharp KG, Safranski TJ, Lamberson WR, Lucy MC. Reproduction and reproductive tract morphology of male and female pigs whose mothers were heat stressed during the second month of gestation. J Anim Sci 2021; 98:5956278. [PMID: 33150362 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skaa352] [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: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary objective was to assess the development of fetal gonads and measure the subsequent reproductive capacity of boars and gilts whose mother was either subjected to gestational heat stress (GHS) or thermoneutral (GTN; control) conditions during pregnancy. Gilts were subjected to either GHS (28 to 38 °C; 65% to 88% relative humidity [RH]; n = 30) or GTN (17 to 22 °C; 56% to 65% RH; n = 29) for the second month of gestation (a period that coincides with a critical window of gonadal development). A subset of GHS (n = 12) and GTN (n = 11) gilts was sacrificed immediately following treatment for the collection of pregnancy data. The remaining gilts (n = 18 GHS and n = 18 GTN) were allowed to farrow. Female offspring from the farrowed gilts were studied through puberty, first insemination, and early pregnancy when fetal tissues were again collected. During the treatment period, GHS gilts had greater (P < 0.001) rectal temperature and respiration rate at both measurement time points (morning and afternoon) compared with GTN gilts. When assessed at the end of the second month of gestation, the total number of viable fetuses did not differ (P > 0.10) for GHS vs. GTN. Likewise, the weight of the fetus, placenta, fetal testes, and fetal ovaries were similar (P > 0.10) for GHS and GTN pregnancies. There was a tendency for an effect of treatment (63.3 ± 2.3 vs. 70.1 ± 2.6; GHS vs. GTN; P < 0.073) on the number of oogonia per histological section in the fetal ovaries. There was no effect of treatment on the number of prespermatogonia per histological section in the fetal testis. For gilts farrowing after treatment, litter size, piglet birth weight, and weaning weight were similar (P > 0.10) for the GHS and GTN gilts. Testes collected from castrated GHS boars had fewer prespermatogonia per seminiferous tubule cross section (P < 0.049). Female offspring from the GHS (n = 30) or GTN (n = 37) sows reached puberty at a similar age, and their pregnancies (ninth week of gestation) had fewer corpora lutea (15.6 ± 0.5 vs. 17.1 ± 0.4; GHS vs. GTN; P < 0.038) but the number of fetuses was similar for GHS and GTN. In summary, compared with GTN, GHS during a critical window of gonadal development tended to reduce the number of oogonia in the fetal ovary, reduced the number of prespermatogonia in the neonatal testes, and reduced ovulation rate at first pregnancy in gilts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy J Bernhard
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
| | | | | | | | - Matthew C Lucy
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
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13
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Guymer C, Damp L, Chidlow G, Wood J, Tang YF, Casson R. Software for Quantifying and Batch Processing Images of Brn3a and RBPMS Immunolabelled Retinal Ganglion Cells in Retinal Wholemounts. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2020; 9:28. [PMID: 32821525 PMCID: PMC7409150 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.9.6.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The ability to accurately quantify immunohistochemically labeled retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) on wholemounts is an important histopathological determinant in experimental retinal research. Traditionally, this has been performed by manual or semi-automated counting of RGCs. Here, we describe an automated software that accurately and efficiently counts immunolabeled RGCs with the ability to batch process images and perform whole-retinal analysis to permit isodensity map generation. Methods Retinal wholemounts from control rat eyes, and eyes subjected to either chronic ocular hypertension or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxicity, were labeled by immunohistochemistry for two different RGC-specific markers, Brn3a and RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS). For feasibility of manual counting, images were sampled from predefined retinal sectors, totaling 160 images for Brn3a and 144 images for RBPMS. The automated program was initially calibrated for each antibody prior to batch analysis to ensure adequate cell capture. Blinded manual RGC counts were performed by three independent observers. Results The automated counts of RGCs labeled for Brn3a and RBPMS closely matched manual counts. The automated script accurately quantified both physiological and damaged retinas. Efficiency in counting labeled RGC wholemount images is accelerated 40-fold with the automated software. Whole-retinal analysis was demonstrated with integrated retinal isodensity map generation. Conclusions This automated cell counting software dramatically accelerates data acquisition while maintaining accurate RGC counts across different immunolabels, methods of injury, and spatial heterogeneity of RGC loss. This software likely has potential for wider application. Translational Relevance This study provides a valuable tool for preclinical RGC neuroprotection studies that facilitates the translation of neuroprotection to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Guymer
- Ophthalmic Research Laboratories, Discipline of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Glyn Chidlow
- Ophthalmic Research Laboratories, Discipline of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia
| | - John Wood
- Ophthalmic Research Laboratories, Discipline of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Yi Fan Tang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Robert Casson
- Ophthalmic Research Laboratories, Discipline of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia.,Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
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14
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Bardet SM, Cortese J, Blanc R, Mounayer C, Rouchaud A. Multiphoton microscopy for pre-clinical evaluation of flow-diverter stents for treating aneurysms. J Neuroradiol 2020; 48:200-206. [PMID: 32205257 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurad.2020.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conventional histological analyses are the gold standard for the study of aneurysms and vascular pathologies in pre-clinical research. Over the past decade, in vivo and ex vivo imaging using multiphoton microscopy have emerged as powerful pre-clinical tools for detailed tissue analyses that can assess morphology, the extracellular matrix (ECM), cell density and vascularisation. Multiphoton microscopy allows for deeper tissue penetration with minor phototoxicity. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to demonstrate the current status of multimodality imaging, including multiphoton microscopy, for detailed analyses of neo-endothelialisation and ECM evolution after flow-diverter stent (FDS) treatment in an experimental rabbit model of aneurysms. METHODS Multiphoton microscopy tools for assessing autofluorescence and second harmonic generation (SHG) signals from biological tissues were used to evaluate the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms in an animal model of aneurysms (pig, rabbit). Results from multiphoton microscopy were compared to those from standard histology, electronic and bright field microscopy. CONCLUSIONS The present study describes novel evaluation modes based on multiphoton microscopy for visualising tissue morphology (e.g., collagen, elastin, and cells) to qualify and quantify the extent of neo-intimal formation of covered arteries and device integration into the arterial wall using a rabbit model of intracranial aneurysms treated with FDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia M Bardet
- University of Limoges, 123, avenue Albert-Thomas, XLIM UMR CNRS 7252, 87060 Limoges, France.
| | - Jonathan Cortese
- Bichat University Hospital, INSERM U1148-LVTS, Paris, France; Bicetre Hospital, Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Blanc
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe-de-Rothschild, Paris, France
| | - Charbel Mounayer
- University of Limoges, 123, avenue Albert-Thomas, XLIM UMR CNRS 7252, 87060 Limoges, France; University Hospital, Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Limoges, France
| | - Aymeric Rouchaud
- University of Limoges, 123, avenue Albert-Thomas, XLIM UMR CNRS 7252, 87060 Limoges, France; University Hospital, Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Limoges, France.
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15
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Krishnan A, Kocab AJ, Zacks DN, Marshak-Rothstein A, Gregory-Ksander M. A small peptide antagonist of the Fas receptor inhibits neuroinflammation and prevents axon degeneration and retinal ganglion cell death in an inducible mouse model of glaucoma. J Neuroinflammation 2019; 16:184. [PMID: 31570110 PMCID: PMC6767653 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-019-1576-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glaucoma is a complex, multifactorial disease where apoptosis, microglia activation, and inflammation have been linked to the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and axon degeneration. We demonstrated previously that FasL-Fas signaling was required for axon degeneration and death of RGCs in chronic and inducible mouse models of glaucoma and that Fas activation triggered RGC apoptosis, glial activation, and inflammation. Here, we investigated whether targeting the Fas receptor with a small peptide antagonist, ONL1204, has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in a microbead-induced mouse model of glaucoma. METHODS Intracameral injection of microbeads was used to elevate intraocular pressure (IOP) in Fas-deficient (Faslpr) mice and WT C57BL/6J mice that received an intravitreal injection of the Fas inhibitor, ONL1204 (2 μg/1 μl) (or vehicle only), on day 0 or day 7 after microbead injection. The IOP was monitored by rebound tonometry, and at 28 days post-microbead injection, Brn3a-stained RGCs and paraphenylenediamine (PPD)-stained axons were analyzed. The effects of ONL1204 on retinal microglia activation and the expression of inflammatory genes were analyzed by immunostaining of retinal flatmounts and quantitative PCR (qPCR). RESULTS Rebound tonometry showed equivalent elevation of IOP in all groups of microbead-injected mice. At 28 days post-microbead injection, the RGC and axon counts from microbead-injected Faslpr mice were equivalent to saline-injected (no IOP elevation) controls. Treatment with ONL1204 also significantly reduced RGC death and loss of axons in microbead-injected WT mice when compared to vehicle-treated controls, even when administered after IOP elevation. Confocal analysis of Iba1-stained retinal flatmounts and qPCR demonstrated that ONL1204 also abrogated microglia activation and inhibited the induction of multiple genes implicated in glaucoma, including cytokines and chemokines (GFAP, Caspase-8, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, MIP-2, MCPI, and IP10), components of the complement cascade (C3, C1Q), Toll-like receptor pathway (TLR4), and inflammasome pathway (NLRP3). CONCLUSIONS These results serve as proof-of-principal that the small peptide inhibitor of the Fas receptor, ONL1204, can provide robust neuroprotection in an inducible mouse model of glaucoma, even when administered after IOP elevation. Moreover, Fas signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of glaucoma through activation of both apoptotic and inflammatory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anitha Krishnan
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - David N Zacks
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ann Marshak-Rothstein
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Meredith Gregory-Ksander
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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Automated and Reproducible Detection of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in Renal Tissue Sections. J Immunol Res 2019; 2019:7232781. [PMID: 31016206 PMCID: PMC6444260 DOI: 10.1155/2019/7232781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Manual analysis of tissue sections, such as for pathological diagnosis, requires an analyst with substantial knowledge and experience. Reproducible image analysis of biological samples is steadily gaining scientific importance. The aim of the present study was to employ image analysis followed by machine learning to identify vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in kidney tissue that had been subjected to hypoxia. Methods Light microscopy images of renal tissue sections stained for VEGF were analyzed. Subsequently, machine learning classified the cells as VEGF+ and VEGF− cells. Results VEGF was detected and cells were counted with high sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion With great clinical, diagnostic, and research potential, automatic image analysis offers a new quantitative capability, thereby adding numerical information to a mostly qualitative diagnostic approach.
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17
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Lynch JM, Dolman AJ, Guo C, Dolan K, Xiang C, Reda S, Li B, Prasanna G. Mutant myocilin impacts sarcomere ultrastructure in mouse gastrocnemius muscle. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206801. [PMID: 30395621 PMCID: PMC6218065 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Myocilin (MYOC) is the gene with mutations most common in glaucoma. In the eye, MYOC is in trabecular meshwork, ciliary body, and retina. Other tissues with high MYOC transcript levels are skeletal muscle and heart. To date, the function of wild-type MYOC remains unknown and how mutant MYOC causes high intraocular pressure and glaucoma is ambiguous. By investigating mutant MYOC in a non-ocular tissue we hoped to obtain novel insight into mutant MYOC pathology. For this study, we utilized a transgenic mouse expressing human mutant MYOC Y437H protein and we examined its skeletal (gastrocnemius) muscle phenotype. Electron micrographs showed that sarcomeres in the skeletal muscle of mutant CMV-MYOC-Y437H mice had multiple M-bands. Western blots of soluble muscle lysates from transgenics indicated a decrease in two M-band proteins, myomesin 1 (MYOM1) and muscle creatine kinase (CKM). Immunoprecipitation identified CKM as a MYOC binding partner. Our results suggest that binding of mutant MYOC to CKM is changing sarcomere ultrastructure and this may adversely impact muscle function. We speculate that a person carrying the mutant MYOC mutation will likely have a glaucoma phenotype and may also have undiagnosed muscle ailments or vice versa, both of which will have to be monitored and treated.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics
- Cytoskeletal Proteins/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Eye Proteins/genetics
- Eye Proteins/metabolism
- Female
- Gene Expression
- Glaucoma, Open-Angle/genetics
- Glaucoma, Open-Angle/metabolism
- Glaucoma, Open-Angle/pathology
- Glycoproteins/genetics
- Glycoproteins/metabolism
- Humans
- Intraocular Pressure/genetics
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Mutant Strains
- Mice, Transgenic
- Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
- Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism
- Muscle, Skeletal/ultrastructure
- Mutant Proteins/genetics
- Mutant Proteins/metabolism
- Mutation
- Myocardium/metabolism
- Phenotype
- Recombinant Proteins/genetics
- Recombinant Proteins/metabolism
- Sarcomeres/genetics
- Sarcomeres/metabolism
- Sarcomeres/ultrastructure
- Trabecular Meshwork/metabolism
- Trabecular Meshwork/ultrastructure
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M. Lynch
- Ophthalmology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrew J. Dolman
- Ophthalmology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Chenying Guo
- Ophthalmology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Katie Dolan
- Ophthalmology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Chuanxi Xiang
- Ophthalmology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Samir Reda
- Ophthalmology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Bing Li
- Ophthalmology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Ganesh Prasanna
- Ophthalmology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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18
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Wareham LK, Dordea AC, Schleifer G, Yao V, Batten A, Fei F, Mertz J, Gregory-Ksander M, Pasquale LR, Buys ES, Sappington RM. Increased bioavailability of cyclic guanylate monophosphate prevents retinal ganglion cell degeneration. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 121:65-75. [PMID: 30213732 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The nitric oxide - guanylyl cyclase-1 - cyclic guanylate monophosphate (NO-GC-1-cGMP) pathway has emerged as a potential pathogenic mechanism for glaucoma, a common intraocular pressure (IOP)-related optic neuropathy characterized by the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons in the optic nerve. NO activates GC-1 to increase cGMP levels, which are lowered by cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity. This pathway appears to play a role in both the regulation of IOP, where reduced cGMP levels in mice leads to elevated IOP and subsequent RGC degeneration. Here, we investigated whether potentiation of cGMP signaling could protect RGCs from glaucomatous degeneration. We administered the PDE5 inhibitor tadalafil orally (10 mg/kg/day) in murine models of two forms of glaucoma - primary open angle glaucoma (POAG; GC-1-/- mice) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG; Microbead Occlusion Model) - and measured RGC viability at both the soma and axon level. To determine the direct effect of increased cGMP on RGCs in vitro, we treated axotomized whole retina and primary RGC cultures with the cGMP analogue 8-Br-cGMP. Tadalafil treatment increased plasma cGMP levels in both models, but did not alter IOP or mean arterial pressure. Nonetheless, tadalafil treatment prevented degeneration of RGC soma and axons in both disease models. Treatment of whole, axotomized retina and primary RGC cultures with 8-Br-cGMP markedly attenuated both necrotic and apoptotic cell death pathways in RGCs. Our findings suggest that enhancement of the NO-GC-1-cGMP pathway protects the RGC body and axon in murine models of POAG and PACG, and that enhanced signaling through this pathway may serve as a novel glaucoma treatment, acting independently of IOP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren K Wareham
- Anesthesia Center for Critical Care Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Ana C Dordea
- Anesthesia Center for Critical Care Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Grigorij Schleifer
- Anesthesia Center for Critical Care Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vincent Yao
- Anesthesia Center for Critical Care Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Annabelle Batten
- Anesthesia Center for Critical Care Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fei Fei
- Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Joseph Mertz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Meredith Gregory-Ksander
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, United Sates
| | - Louis R Pasquale
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emmanuel S Buys
- Anesthesia Center for Critical Care Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca M Sappington
- Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, United States.
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19
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Krishnan A, Fei F, Jones A, Busto P, Marshak-Rothstein A, Ksander BR, Gregory-Ksander M. Overexpression of Soluble Fas Ligand following Adeno-Associated Virus Gene Therapy Prevents Retinal Ganglion Cell Death in Chronic and Acute Murine Models of Glaucoma. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 197:4626-4638. [PMID: 27849168 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Glaucoma is a multifactorial disease resulting in the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and irreversible blindness. Glaucoma-associated RGC death depends on the proapoptotic and proinflammatory activity of membrane-bound Fas ligand (mFasL). In contrast to mFasL, the natural cleavage product, soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) inhibits mFasL-mediated apoptosis and inflammation and, therefore, is an mFasL antagonist. DBA/2J mice spontaneously develop glaucoma and, predictably, RGC destruction is exacerbated by expression of a mutated membrane-only FasL gene that lacks the extracellular cleavage site. Remarkably, one-time intraocular adeno-associated virus-mediated gene delivery of sFasL provides complete and sustained neuroprotection in the chronic DBA/2J and acute microbead-induced models of glaucoma, even in the presence of elevated intraocular pressure. This protection correlated with inhibition of glial activation, reduced production of TNF-α, and decreased apoptosis of RGCs and loss of axons. These data indicate that cleavage of FasL under homeostatic conditions, and the ensuing release of sFasL, normally limits the neurodestructive activity of FasL. The data further support the notion that sFasL, and not mFasL, contributes to the immune-privileged status of the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anitha Krishnan
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Fei Fei
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114.,Department of Ophthalmology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China; and
| | - Alexander Jones
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Patricia Busto
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655
| | - Ann Marshak-Rothstein
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655
| | - Bruce R Ksander
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Meredith Gregory-Ksander
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114;
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