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Enderlin J, Rieu Q, Réty S, Vanoni EM, Roux S, Dégardin J, César Q, Augustin S, Nous C, Cai B, Fontaine V, Sennlaub F, Nandrot EF. Retinal atrophy, inflammation, phagocytic and metabolic disruptions develop in the MerTK-cleavage-resistant mouse model. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1256522. [PMID: 38680449 PMCID: PMC11047123 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1256522] [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: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
In the eye, cells from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) facing the neurosensory retina exert several functions that are all crucial for long-term survival of photoreceptors (PRs) and vision. Among those, RPE cells phagocytose under a circadian rhythm photoreceptor outer segment (POS) tips that are constantly subjected to light rays and oxidative attacks. The MerTK tyrosine kinase receptor is a key element of this phagocytic machinery required for POS internalization. Recently, we showed that MerTK is subjected to the cleavage of its extracellular domain to finely control its function. In addition, monocytes in retinal blood vessels can migrate inside the inner retina and differentiate into macrophages expressing MerTK, but their role in this context has not been studied yet. We thus investigated the ocular phenotype of MerTK cleavage-resistant (MerTKCR) mice to understand the relevance of this characteristic on retinal homeostasis at the RPE and macrophage levels. MerTKCR retinae appear to develop and function normally, as observed in retinal sections, by electroretinogram recordings and optokinetic behavioral tests. Monitoring of MerTKCR and control mice between the ages of 3 and 18 months showed the development of large degenerative areas in the central retina as early as 4 months when followed monthly by optical coherence tomography (OCT) plus fundus photography (FP)/autofluorescence (AF) detection but not by OCT alone. The degenerative areas were associated with AF, which seems to be due to infiltrated macrophages, as observed by OCT and histology. MerTKCR RPE primary cultures phagocytosed less POS in vitro, while in vivo, the circadian rhythm of POS phagocytosis was deregulated. Mitochondrial function and energy production were reduced in freshly dissected RPE/choroid tissues at all ages, thus showing a metabolic impairment not present in macrophages. RPE anomalies were detected by electron microscopy, including phagosomes retained in the apical area and vacuoles. Altogether, this new mouse model displays a novel phenotype that could prove useful to understanding the interplay between RPE and PRs in inflammatory retinal degenerations and highlights new roles for MerTK in the regulation of the energetic metabolism and the maintenance of the immune privilege in the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Enderlin
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Quentin Rieu
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Salomé Réty
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Elora M. Vanoni
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Solène Roux
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Julie Dégardin
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Quénol César
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Augustin
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Nous
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Bishuang Cai
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Valérie Fontaine
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Florian Sennlaub
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Emeline F. Nandrot
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Therapeutics Department, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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Tillmann A, Ceklic L, Dysli C, Munk MR. Gender differences in retinal diseases: A review. Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2024; 52:317-333. [PMID: 38348562 DOI: 10.1111/ceo.14364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Gender medicine is a medical specialty that addresses gender differences in health and disease. Traditionally, medical research and clinical practice have often been focused on male subjects and patients. As a result, gender differences in medicine have been overlooked. Gender medicine considers the biological, psychological, and social differences between the genders and how these differences affect the development, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. For ophthalmological diseases epidemiological differences are known. However, there are not yet any gender-based ophthalmic treatment approaches for women and men. This review provides an overview of gender differences in retinal diseases. It is intended to make ophthalmologists, especially retinologists, more sensitive to the topic of gender medicine. The goal is to enhance comprehension of these aspects by highlighting fundamental gender differences. Integrating gender medicine into ophthalmological practice helps promote personalized and gender-responsive health care and makes medical research more accurate and relevant to the entire population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Tillmann
- Augenarzt-Praxisgemeinschaft Gutblick, Pfäffikon, Switzerland
| | - Lala Ceklic
- Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Bern Photographic Reading Center, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Dysli
- Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Bern Photographic Reading Center, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marion R Munk
- Augenarzt-Praxisgemeinschaft Gutblick, Pfäffikon, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Bern Photographic Reading Center, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Nguyen M, Sullivan J, Shen W. Retinal vascular remodeling in photoreceptor degenerative disease. Exp Eye Res 2023; 234:109566. [PMID: 37423458 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal vasculature in the retina, specifically tortuous vessels and capillary degeneration, is common in many of the most prevalent retinal degenerative diseases, currently affecting millions of people across the world. However, the formation and development of abnormal vasculature in the context of retinal degenerative diseases are still poorly understood. The FVB/N (rd1) and rd10 mice are well-studied animal models of retinal degenerative diseases, but how photoreceptor degeneration leads to vascular abnormality in the diseases remains to be elucidated. Here, we used advancements in confocal microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and image analysis software to systematically characterize the pathological vasculature in the FVB/N (rd1) and rd10 mice, known as a chronic, rapid and slower retinal degenerative model, respectively. We demonstrated that there was plexus-specific vascular degeneration in the retinal trilaminar vascular network paralleled to photoreceptor degeneration in the diseased retinas. We also quantitatively analyzed the vascular structural architecture in the wild-type and diseased retinas to provide valuable information on vascular remodeling in retinal degenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - James Sullivan
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Wen Shen
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
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Miller AL, James RE, Harvey AR, Trifunović D, Carvalho LS. The role of epigenetic changes in the pathology and treatment of inherited retinal diseases. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1224078. [PMID: 37601102 PMCID: PMC10436478 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1224078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Elucidation of the cellular changes that occur in degenerating photoreceptors of people with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) has been a focus for many research teams, leading to numerous theories on how these changes affect the cell death process. What is clearly emerging from these studies is that there are common denominators across multiple models of IRD, regardless of the underlying genetic mutation. These common markers could open avenues for broad neuroprotective therapeutics to prevent photoreceptor loss and preserve functional vision. In recent years, the role of epigenetic modifications contributing to the pathology of IRDs has been a particular point of interest, due to many studies noting changes in these epigenetic modifications, which coincide with photoreceptor cell death. This review will discuss the two broad categories of epigenetic changes, DNA methylation and histone modifications, that have received particular attention in IRD models. We will review the altered epigenetic regulatory events that are believed to contribute to cell death in IRDs and discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting these alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie L. Miller
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Retinal Genomics and Therapy Laboratory, Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Rebekah E. James
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Retinal Genomics and Therapy Laboratory, Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Alan R. Harvey
- Retinal Genomics and Therapy Laboratory, Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Dragana Trifunović
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Tubingen University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Livia S. Carvalho
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Retinal Genomics and Therapy Laboratory, Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Ellis EM, Paniagua AE, Scalabrino ML, Thapa M, Rathinavelu J, Jiao Y, Williams DS, Field GD, Fain GL, Sampath AP. Cones and cone pathways remain functional in advanced retinal degeneration. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1513-1522.e4. [PMID: 36977418 PMCID: PMC10133175 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Most defects causing retinal degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are rod-specific mutations, but the subsequent degeneration of cones, which produces loss of daylight vision and high-acuity perception, is the most debilitating feature of the disease. To understand better why cones degenerate and how cone vision might be restored, we have made the first single-cell recordings of light responses from degenerating cones and retinal interneurons after most rods have died and cones have lost their outer-segment disk membranes and synaptic pedicles. We show that degenerating cones have functional cyclic-nucleotide-gated channels and can continue to give light responses, apparently produced by opsin localized either to small areas of organized membrane near the ciliary axoneme or distributed throughout the inner segment. Light responses of second-order horizontal and bipolar cells are less sensitive but otherwise resemble those of normal retina. Furthermore, retinal output as reflected in responses of ganglion cells is less sensitive but maintains spatiotemporal receptive fields at cone-mediated light levels. Together, these findings show that cones and their retinal pathways can remain functional even as degeneration is progressing, an encouraging result for future research aimed at enhancing the light sensitivity of residual cones to restore vision in patients with genetically inherited retinal degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika M Ellis
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7000, USA
| | - Antonio E Paniagua
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7000, USA
| | - Miranda L Scalabrino
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7000, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Mishek Thapa
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7000, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jay Rathinavelu
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yuekan Jiao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7000, USA
| | - David S Williams
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7000, USA.
| | - Greg D Field
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7000, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - Gordon L Fain
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7000, USA.
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7000, USA.
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Retinal Ganglion Cells: Global Number, Density and Vulnerability to Glaucomatous Injury in Common Laboratory Mice. Cells 2022; 11:cells11172689. [PMID: 36078097 PMCID: PMC9454702 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
How many RBPMS+ retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) does a standard C57BL/6 laboratory mouse have on average and is this number substrain- or sex-dependent? Do RGCs of (European) C57BL/6J and -N mice show a different intrinsic vulnerability upon glaucomatous injury? Global RGC numbers and densities of common laboratory mice were previously determined via axon counts, retrograde tracing or BRN3A immunohistochemistry. Here, we report the global RGC number and density by exploiting the freely available tool RGCode to automatically count RGC numbers and densities on entire retinal wholemounts immunostained for the pan-RGC marker RBPMS. The intrinsic vulnerability of RGCs from different substrains to glaucomatous injury was evaluated upon introduction of the microbead occlusion model, followed by RBPMS counts, retrograde tracing and electroretinography five weeks post-injury. We demonstrate that the global RGC number and density varies between substrains, yet is not sex-dependent. C57BL/6J mice have on average 46K ± 2K RBPMS+ RGCs per retina, representing a global RGC density of 3268 ± 177 RGCs/mm2. C57BL/6N mice, on the other hand, have on average less RBPMS+ RGCs (41K ± 3K RGCs) and a lower density (3018 ± 189 RGCs/mm2). The vulnerability of the RGC population of the two C57BL/6 substrains to glaucomatous injury did, however, not differ in any of the interrogated parameters.
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7
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Cha S, Ahn J, Jeong Y, Lee YH, Kim HK, Lee D, Yoo Y, Goo YS. Stage-Dependent Changes of Visual Function and Electrical Response of the Retina in the rd10 Mouse Model. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:926096. [PMID: 35936494 PMCID: PMC9345760 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.926096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the critical prerequisites for the successful development of retinal prostheses is understanding the physiological features of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the different stages of retinal degeneration (RD). This study used our custom-made rd10 mice, C57BL/6-Pde6bem1(R560C)Dkl/Korl mutated on the Pde6b gene in C57BL/6J mouse with the CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-editing method. We selected the postnatal day (P) 45, P70, P140, and P238 as representative ages for RD stages. The optomotor response measured the visual acuity across degeneration stages. At P45, the rd10 mice exhibited lower visual acuity than wild-type (WT) mice. At P140 and older, no optomotor response was observed. We classified RGC responses to the flashed light into ON, OFF, and ON/OFF RGCs via in vitro multichannel recording. With degeneration, the number of RGCs responding to the light stimulation decreased in all three types of RGCs. The OFF response disappeared faster than the ON response with older postnatal ages. We elicited RGC spikes with electrical stimulation and analyzed the network-mediated RGC response in the rd10 mice. Across all postnatal ages, the spikes of rd10 RGCs were less elicited by pulse amplitude modulation than in WT RGCs. The ratio of RGCs showing multiple peaks of spike burst increased in older ages. The electrically evoked RGC spikes by the pulse amplitude modulation differ across postnatal ages. Therefore, degeneration stage-dependent stimulation strategies should be considered for developing retinal prosthesis and successful vision restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongkwang Cha
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Jungryul Ahn
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Yurim Jeong
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Yong Hee Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Hyong Kyu Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Daekee Lee
- Department of Life Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yongseok Yoo
- Department of Electronics Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Yongseok Yoo,
| | - Yong Sook Goo
- Department of Physiology, Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, Cheongju, South Korea
- Yong Sook Goo,
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Weh E, Scott K, Wubben TJ, Besirli CG. Dark-reared rd10 mice experience rapid photoreceptor degeneration with short exposure to room-light during in vivo retinal imaging. Exp Eye Res 2022; 215:108913. [PMID: 34965404 PMCID: PMC8923962 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a collection of rare genetic conditions, which can lead to complete blindness. A large number of causative genes have been identified for IRDs and while some success has been achieved with gene therapies, they are limited in scope to each individual gene and/or the specific mutation harbored by each patient with an IRD. Multiple studies are underway to elucidate common underlying mechanisms contributing to photoreceptor (PR) loss and to design gene-agnostic, pan-disease therapeutics. The rd10 mouse, which recapitulates slow degeneration of PRs, is an in vivo IRD model used commonly by vision researchers. Light deprivation by rearing animals in complete darkness significantly delays PR death in rd10 mice, subsequently increasing the time window for in vivo studies investigating neuroprotective strategies. Longitudinal in vivo retinal imaging following the same rd10 mice over time is a potential solution for reducing the number of animals required to complete a study. We describe a previously unreported phenotype in the dark-reared rd10 model that is characterized by dramatic PR degeneration following brief exposure to low-intensity light. This exquisite light sensitivity precludes the use of longitudinal studies employing in vivo imaging or other functional assessment requiring room light in rd10 mice and highlights the importance of closely following animal models of IRD to determine any deviations from the expected degeneration curve during routine experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Cagri G. Besirli
- Corresponding Author, please direct all correspondence to: Cagri Besirli, 1000 Wall St., Ann Arbor, MI 48105, 734-232-8404,
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Berkowitz BA, Podolsky RH, Childers KL, Roche SL, Cotter TG, Graffice E, Harp L, Sinan K, Berri AM, Schneider M, Qian H, Gao S, Roberts R. Rod Photoreceptor Neuroprotection in Dark-Reared Pde6brd10 Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 61:14. [PMID: 33156341 PMCID: PMC7671864 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.13.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that anti-oxidant and / or anti-inflammation drugs that suppress rod death in cyclic light-reared Pde6brd10 mice are also effective in dark-reared Pde6brd10 mice. Methods In untreated dark-reared Pde6brd10 mice at post-natal (P) days 23 to 24, we measured the outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness (histology) and dark-light thickness difference in external limiting membrane-retinal pigment epithelium (ELM-RPE) (optical coherence tomography [OCT]), retina layer oxidative stress (QUEnch-assiSTed [QUEST] magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]); and microglia/macrophage-driven inflammation (immunohistology). In dark-reared P50 Pde6brd10 mice, ONL thickness was measured (OCT) in groups given normal chow or chow admixed with methylene blue (MB) + Norgestrel (anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory), or MB or Norgestrel separately. Results P24 Pde6brd10 mice showed no significant dark-light ELM-RPE response in superior and inferior retina consistent with high cGMP levels. Norgestrel did not significantly suppress the oxidative stress of Pde6brd10 mice that is only found in superior central outer retina of males at P23. Overt rod degeneration with microglia/macrophage activation was observed but only in the far peripheral superior retina in male and female P23 Pde6brd10 mice. Significant rod protection was measured in female P50 Pde6brd10 mice given 5 mg/kg/day MB + Norgestrel diet; no significant benefit was seen with MB chow or Norgestrel chow alone, nor in similarly treated male mice. Conclusions In early rod degeneration in dark-reared Pde6brd10 mice, little evidence is found in central retina for spatial associations among biomarkers of the PDE6B mutation, oxidative stress, and rod death; neuroprotection at P50 was limited to a combination of anti-oxidant/anti-inflammation treatment in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A Berkowitz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Robert H Podolsky
- Beaumont Research Institute, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, Michigan, United States
| | - Karen Lins Childers
- Beaumont Research Institute, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, Michigan, United States
| | - Sarah L Roche
- Cell Development and Disease Laboratory, Biochemistry Department, Biosciences Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Thomas G Cotter
- Cell Development and Disease Laboratory, Biochemistry Department, Biosciences Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Emma Graffice
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Lamis Harp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Kenan Sinan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Ali M Berri
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Michael Schneider
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Haohua Qian
- Visual Function Core, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Shasha Gao
- Visual Function Core, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Robin Roberts
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
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Runhart EH, Khan M, Cornelis SS, Roosing S, Del Pozo-Valero M, Lamey TM, Liskova P, Roberts L, Stöhr H, Klaver CCW, Hoyng CB, Cremers FPM, Dhaenens CM. Association of Sex With Frequent and Mild ABCA4 Alleles in Stargardt Disease. JAMA Ophthalmol 2021; 138:1035-1042. [PMID: 32815999 DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.2990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Importance The mechanisms behind the phenotypic variability and reduced penetrance in autosomal recessive Stargardt disease (STGD1), often a blinding disease, are poorly understood. Identification of the unknown disease modifiers can improve patient and family counseling and provide valuable information for disease management. Objective To assess the association of incompletely penetrant ABCA4 alleles with sex in STGD1. Design, Setting, and Participants Genetic data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from 2 multicenter genetic studies of 1162 patients with clinically suspected STGD1. Unrelated patients with genetically confirmed STGD1 were selected. The data were collected from June 2016 to June 2019, and post hoc analysis was performed between July 2019 and January 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Penetrance of reported mild ABCA4 variants was calculated by comparing the allele frequencies in the general population (obtained from the Genome Aggregation Database) with the genotyping data in the patient population (obtained from the ABCA4 Leiden Open Variation Database). The sex ratio among patients with and patients without an ABCA4 allele with incomplete penetrance was assessed. Results A total of 550 patients were included in the study, among which the mean (SD) age was 45.7 (18.0) years and most patients were women (311 [57%]). Five of the 5 mild ABCA4 alleles, including c.5603A>T and c.5882G>A, were calculated to have incomplete penetrance. The women to men ratio in the subgroup carrying c.5603A>T was 1.7 to 1; the proportion of women in this group was higher compared with the subgroup not carrying a mild allele (difference, 13%; 95% CI, 3%-23%; P = .02). The women to men ratio in the c.5882G>A subgroup was 2.1 to 1, and the women were overrepresented compared with the group carrying no mild allele (difference, 18%; 95% CI, 6%-30%; P = .005). Conclusions and Relevance This study found an imbalance in observed sex ratio among patients harboring a mild ABCA4 allele, which concerns approximately 25% of all patients with STGD1, suggesting that STGD1 should be considered a polygenic or multifactorial disease rather than a disease caused by ABCA4 gene mutations alone. The findings suggest that sex should be considered as a potential disease-modifying variable in both basic research and clinical trials on STGD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmee H Runhart
- Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mubeen Khan
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Stéphanie S Cornelis
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Susanne Roosing
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marta Del Pozo-Valero
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tina M Lamey
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.,Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry and DNA Bank, Department of Medical Technology and Physics, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Petra Liskova
- Research Unit for Rare Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Ophthalmology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lisa Roberts
- University of Cape Town/MRC Genomic and Precision Medicine Research Unit, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Heidi Stöhr
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Caroline C W Klaver
- Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Frans P M Cremers
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Claire-Marie Dhaenens
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172-LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France
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11
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Kobal N, Krašovec T, Šuštar M, Volk M, Peterlin B, Hawlina M, Fakin A. Stationary and Progressive Phenotypes Caused by the p.G90D Mutation in Rhodopsin Gene. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22042133. [PMID: 33669941 PMCID: PMC7924842 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22042133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in rhodopsin gene (RHO) are a frequent cause of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and less often, congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB). Mutation p.G90D has previously been associated with CSNB based on the examination of one family. This study screened 60 patients. Out of these 60 patients, 32 were affected and a full characterization was conducted in 15 patients. We described the clinical characteristics of these 15 patients (12 male, median age 42 years, range 8-71) from three families including visual field (Campus Goldmann), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and electrophysiology. Phenotypes were classified into four categories: CSNB (N = 3, 20%) sector RP (N = 3, 20%), pericentral RP (N = 1, 6.7%) and classic RP (N = 8, 53.3% (8/15)). The phenotypes were not associated with family, sex or age (Kruskal-Wallis, p > 0.05), however, cystoid macular edema (CME) was observed only in one family. Among the subjects reporting nyctalopia, 69% (22/32) were male. The clinical characteristics of the largest p.G90D cohort so far showed a large frequency of progressive retinal degeneration with 53.3% developing RP, contrary to the previous report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kobal
- Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Grablovičeva ulica 46, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.K.); (T.K.); (M.Š.); (M.H.)
| | - Tjaša Krašovec
- Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Grablovičeva ulica 46, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.K.); (T.K.); (M.Š.); (M.H.)
| | - Maja Šuštar
- Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Grablovičeva ulica 46, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.K.); (T.K.); (M.Š.); (M.H.)
| | - Marija Volk
- Clinical Institute of Medical Genetics, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Šlajmerjeva ulica 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.V.); (B.P.)
| | - Borut Peterlin
- Clinical Institute of Medical Genetics, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Šlajmerjeva ulica 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.V.); (B.P.)
| | - Marko Hawlina
- Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Grablovičeva ulica 46, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.K.); (T.K.); (M.Š.); (M.H.)
| | - Ana Fakin
- Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Grablovičeva ulica 46, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.K.); (T.K.); (M.Š.); (M.H.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Chen K, Hou B, Zhao Y, Yuan P, Yao D, Chan LLH. Residual contrast response in primary visual cortex of rats with inherited retinal degeneration. Vision Res 2020; 177:6-11. [PMID: 32932127 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Rhodopsin S334ter-3 retinal degeneration rats have been widely used to investigate degenerative diseases of the retina. In this model, morphological and electrophysiological changes have been observed in the retina, superior colliculus and primary visual cortex (V1). However, no study so far has examined rhodopsin S334ter-3 rats with regards to their contrast response in V1 - a fundamental property of visual information processing. In this study, experimental rats (S334ter-3) carried one copy of the mutant transgene. We compared responses to spatio-temporal variations in luminance contrast in the primary visual cortex of these rats with those in Long-Evans (LE) rats to elucidate the degeneration-specific activity changes in this part of the visual pathway. We measured extracellular responses to different stimulus contrasts at the preferred parameters of each recorded cell under classical receptive field (CRF) stimulation. Our results show that V1 cells in the S334ter-3 group exhibit stronger spontaneous activity but weaker stimulus-evoked responses at medium and high contrasts. By fitting responses to a sigmoid function, we found that the S334ter-3 group had a lower Rmax but a larger exponent N than the LE group. However, we did not find a significant difference in C50 value. These results indicate the decrease in discriminating the stimuli contrast and loss in responses and lower signal to noise ratio after retinal degeneration. Our study supports the notion that a considerable degree of plasticity is found in cortex after retinal degeneration, indicating that visual restoration therapies would succeed if the retina could send useful signals to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, People's Republic of China
| | - Bojun Hou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, People's Republic of China
| | - Yilei Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, People's Republic of China
| | - Peimin Yuan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, People's Republic of China
| | - Dezhong Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, People's Republic of China
| | - Leanne Lai Hang Chan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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13
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Metabolic and Redox Signaling of the Nucleoredoxin-Like-1 Gene for the Treatment of Genetic Retinal Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21051625. [PMID: 32120883 PMCID: PMC7084304 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21051625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The loss of cone photoreceptor function in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) severely impacts the central and daily vision and quality of life of patients affected by this disease. The loss of cones follows the degeneration of rods, in a manner independent of the causing mutations in numerous genes associated with RP. We have explored this phenomenon and proposed that the loss of rods triggers a reduction in the expression of rod-derived cone viability factor (RdCVF) encoded by the nucleoredoxin-like 1 (NXNL1) gene which interrupts the metabolic and redox signaling between rods and cones. After providing scientific evidence supporting this mechanism, we propose a way to restore this lost signaling and prevent the cone vision loss in animal models of RP. We also explain how we could restore this signaling to prevent cone vision loss in animal models of the disease and how we plan to apply this therapeutic strategy by the administration of both products of NXNL1 encoding the trophic factor RdCVF and the thioredoxin enzyme RdCVFL using an adeno-associated viral vector. We describe in detail all the steps of this translational program, from the design of the drug, its production, biological validation, and analytical and preclinical qualification required for a future clinical trial that would, if successful, provide a treatment for this incurable disease.
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