1
|
Zhang X, Wang F, Su Y. TRPV: An emerging target in glaucoma and optic nerve damage. Exp Eye Res 2024; 239:109784. [PMID: 38199261 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2024.109784] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels are members of the TRP channel superfamily, which are ion channels that sense mechanical and osmotic stimuli and participate in Ca2+ signalling across the cell membrane. TRPV channels play important roles in maintaining the normal functions of an organism, and defects or abnormalities in TRPV channel function cause a range of diseases, including cardiovascular, neurological and urological disorders. Glaucoma is a group of chronic progressive optic nerve diseases with pathological changes that can occur in the tissues of the anterior and posterior segments of the eye, including the ciliary body, trabecular meshwork, Schlemm's canal, and retina. TRPV channels are expressed in these tissues and play various roles in glaucoma. In this article, we review various aspects of the pathogenesis of glaucoma, the structure and function of TRPV channels, the relationship between TRPV channels and systemic diseases, and the relationship between TRPV channels and ocular diseases, especially glaucoma, and we suggest future research directions. This information will help to further our understanding of TRPV channels and provide new ideas and targets for the treatment of glaucoma and optic nerve damage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotong Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
| | - Ying Su
- Eye Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Unnithan AR, Rotherham M, Markides H, El Haj AJ. Magnetic Ion Channel Activation (MICA)-Enabled Screening Assay: A Dynamic Platform for Remote Activation of Mechanosensitive Ion Channels. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043364. [PMID: 36834776 PMCID: PMC9962865 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This study reports results of a mechanical platform-based screening assay (MICA) to evaluate the remote activation of mechanosensitive ion channels. Here, we studied ERK pathway activation and the elevation in intracellular Ca2+ levels in response to the MICA application using the Luciferase assay and Fluo-8AM assay, respectively. Functionalised magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) targeting membrane-bound integrins and mechanosensitive TREK1 ion channels were studied with HEK293 cell lines under MICA application. The study demonstrated that active targeting of mechanosensitive integrins via RGD (Arginylglycylaspartic acid) motifs or TREK1 (KCNK2, potassium channel subfamily K member 2) ion channels can stimulate the ERK pathway and intracellular calcium levels compared to non-MICA controls. This screening assay offers a powerful tool, which aligns with existing high-throughput drug screening platforms for use in the assessment of drugs that interact with ion channels and influence ion channel-modulated diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Afeesh Rajan Unnithan
- Healthcare Technology Institute, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Engineering Science, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Lifesciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK
- Correspondence: (A.R.U.); (A.J.E.H.)
| | - Michael Rotherham
- Healthcare Technology Institute, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK
| | - Hareklea Markides
- Healthcare Technology Institute, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK
| | - Alicia J. El Haj
- Healthcare Technology Institute, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK
- Correspondence: (A.R.U.); (A.J.E.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Križaj D, Cordeiro S, Strauß O. Retinal TRP channels: Cell-type-specific regulators of retinal homeostasis and multimodal integration. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023; 92:101114. [PMID: 36163161 PMCID: PMC9897210 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a widely expressed family of 28 evolutionarily conserved cationic ion channels that operate as primary detectors of chemical and physical stimuli and secondary effectors of metabotropic and ionotropic receptors. In vertebrates, the channels are grouped into six related families: TRPC, TRPV, TRPM, TRPA, TRPML, and TRPP. As sensory transducers, TRP channels are ubiquitously expressed across the body and the CNS, mediating critical functions in mechanosensation, nociception, chemosensing, thermosensing, and phototransduction. This article surveys current knowledge about the expression and function of the TRP family in vertebrate retinas, which, while dedicated to transduction and transmission of visual information, are highly susceptible to non-visual stimuli. Every retinal cell expresses multiple TRP subunits, with recent evidence establishing their critical roles in paradigmatic aspects of vertebrate vision that include TRPM1-dependent transduction of ON bipolar signaling, TRPC6/7-mediated ganglion cell phototransduction, TRP/TRPL phototransduction in Drosophila and TRPV4-dependent osmoregulation, mechanotransduction, and regulation of inner and outer blood-retina barriers. TRP channels tune light-dependent and independent functions of retinal circuits by modulating the intracellular concentration of the 2nd messenger calcium, with emerging evidence implicating specific subunits in the pathogenesis of debilitating diseases such as glaucoma, ocular trauma, diabetic retinopathy, and ischemia. Elucidation of TRP channel involvement in retinal biology will yield rewards in terms of fundamental understanding of vertebrate vision and therapeutic targeting to treat diseases caused by channel dysfunction or over-activation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Križaj
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurobiology, and Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Soenke Cordeiro
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany
| | - Olaf Strauß
- Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, a Corporate Member of Freie Universität, Humboldt-University, The Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chen S, Wang W, Cao Q, Wu S, Wang N, Ji L, Zhu W. Cationic Mechanosensitive Channels Mediate Trabecular Meshwork Responses to Cyclic Mechanical Stretch. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:881286. [PMID: 35928263 PMCID: PMC9343793 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.881286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The trabecular meshwork (TM) is responsible for intraocular pressure (IOP) homeostasis in the eye. The tissue senses IOP fluctuations and dynamically adapts to the mechanical changes to either increase or decrease aqueous humor outflow. Cationic mechanosensitive channels (CMCs) have been reported to play critical roles in mediating the TM responses to mechanical forces. However, how CMCs influence TM cellular function affect aqueous humor drainage is still elusive. In this study, human TM (HTM) cells were collected from a Chinese donor and subjected to cyclically equiaxial stretching with an amplitude of 20% at 1 Hz GsMTx4, a non-selective inhibitor for CMCs, was added to investigate the proteomic changes induced by CMCs in response to mechanical stretch of HTM. Gene ontology enrichment analysis demonstrated that inhibition of CMCs significantly influenced several biochemical pathways, including store-operated calcium channel activity, microtubule cytoskeleton polarity, toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and neuron cell fate specification. Through heatmap analysis, we grouped 148 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) into 21 clusters and focused on four specific patterns associated with Ca2+ homeostasis, autophagy, cell cycle, and cell fate. Our results indicated that they might be the critical downstream signals of CMCs adapting to mechanical forces and mediating AH outflow.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susu Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenyan Wang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Huangdao District, Qingdao, China
| | - Qilong Cao
- Qingdao Haier Biotech Co.,Ltd., Qingdao, China
| | - Shen Wu
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital Eye Center, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ningli Wang
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital Eye Center, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lixia Ji
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Zhu, ; Lixia Ji,
| | - Wei Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University and Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Zhu, ; Lixia Ji,
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chen Y, Su Y, Wang F. The Piezo1 ion channel in glaucoma: a new perspective on mechanical stress. Hum Cell 2022; 35:1307-1322. [PMID: 35767143 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-022-00738-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Glaucomatous optic nerve damage caused by pathological intraocular pressure elevation is irreversible, and its course is often difficult to control. This group of eye diseases is closely related to biomechanics, and the correlation between glaucoma pathogenesis and mechanical stimulation has been studied in recent decades. The nonselective cation channel Piezo1, the most important known mechanical stress sensor, is a transmembrane protein widely expressed in various cell types. Piezo1 has been detected throughout the eye, and the close relationship between Piezo1 and glaucoma is being confirmed. Pathological changes in glaucoma occur in both the anterior and posterior segments of the eye, and it is of great interest for researchers to determine whether Piezo1 plays a role in these changes and how it functions. The elucidation of the mechanisms of Piezo1 action in nonocular tissues and the reported roles of similar mechanically activated ion channels in glaucoma will provide an appropriate basis for further investigation. From a new perspective, this review provides a detailed description of the current progress in elucidating the role of Piezo1 in glaucoma, including relevant questions and assumptions, the remaining challenging research directions and mechanism-related therapeutic potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yidan Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Yiyuan Road, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Ying Su
- Eye Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Yiman Road, Harbin, 150007, China.
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Yiyuan Road, Harbin, 150001, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sundberg CA, Lakk M, Paul S, Figueroa KP, Scoles DR, Pulst SM, Križaj D. The RNA-binding protein and stress granule component ATAXIN-2 is expressed in mouse and human tissues associated with glaucoma pathogenesis. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:537-552. [PMID: 34350994 PMCID: PMC8716417 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Polyglutamine repeat expansions in the Ataxin-2 (ATXN2) gene were first implicated in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2, a disease associated with degeneration of motor neurons and Purkinje cells. Recent studies linked single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene to elevated intraocular pressure in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG); yet, the localization of ATXN2 across glaucoma-relevant tissues of the vertebrate eye has not been thoroughly examined. This study characterizes ATXN2 expression in the mouse and human retina, and anterior eye, using an antibody validated in ATXN2-/- retinas. ATXN2-ir was localized to cytosolic sub compartments in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) somata and proximal dendrites in addition to GABAergic, glycinergic, and cholinergic amacrine cells in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and displaced amacrine cells. Human, but not mouse retinas showed modest immunolabeling of bipolar cells. ATXN2 immunofluorescence was prominent in the trabecular meshwork and pigmented and nonpigmented cells of the ciliary body, with analyses of primary human trabecular meshwork cells confirming the finding. The expression of ATXN2 in key POAG-relevant ocular tissues supports the potential role in autophagy and stress granule formation in response to ocular hypertension.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chad A. Sundberg
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Monika Lakk
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Sharan Paul
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Karla P. Figueroa
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Daniel R. Scoles
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Stefan M. Pulst
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - David Križaj
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Delamere NA, Shahidullah M. Ion Transport Regulation by TRPV4 and TRPV1 in Lens and Ciliary Epithelium. Front Physiol 2022; 12:834916. [PMID: 35173627 PMCID: PMC8841554 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.834916] [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: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Aside from a monolayer of epithelium at the anterior surface, the lens is formed by tightly compressed multilayers of fiber cells, most of which are highly differentiated and have a limited capacity for ion transport. Only the anterior monolayer of epithelial cells has high Na, K-ATPase activity. Because the cells are extensively coupled, the lens resembles a syncytium and sodium-potassium homeostasis of the entire structure is largely dependent on ion transport by the epithelium. Here we describe recent studies that suggest TRPV4 and TRPV1 ion channels activate signaling pathways that play an important role in matching epithelial ion transport activity with needs of the lens cell mass. A TRPV4 feedback loop senses swelling in the fiber mass and increases Na, K-ATPase activity to compensate. TRPV4 channel activation in the epithelium triggers opening of connexin hemichannels, allowing the release of ATP that stimulates purinergic receptors in the epithelium and results in the activation of Src family tyrosine kinases (SFKs) and SFK-dependent increase of Na, K-ATPase activity. A separate TRPV1 feedback loop senses shrinkage in the fiber mass and increases NKCC1 activity to compensate. TRPV1 activation causes calcium-dependent activation of a signaling cascade in the lens epithelium that involves PI3 kinase, ERK, Akt and WNK. TRPV4 and TRPV1 channels are also evident in the ciliary body where Na, K-ATPase is localized on one side of a bilayer in which two different cell types, non-pigmented and pigmented ciliary epithelium, function in a coordinated manner to secrete aqueous humor. TRPV4 and TRPV1 may have a role in maintenance of cell volume homeostasis as ions and water move through the bilayer.
Collapse
|
8
|
Lakk M, Hoffmann GF, Gorusupudi A, Enyong E, Lin A, Bernstein PS, Toft-Bertelsen T, MacAulay N, Elliott MH, Križaj D. Membrane cholesterol regulates TRPV4 function, cytoskeletal expression, and the cellular response to tension. J Lipid Res 2021; 62:100145. [PMID: 34710431 PMCID: PMC8633027 DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2021.100145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the association of cholesterol with debilitating pressure-related diseases such as glaucoma, heart disease, and diabetes, its role in mechanotransduction is not well understood. We investigated the relationship between mechanical strain, free membrane cholesterol, actin cytoskeleton, and the stretch-activated transient receptor potential vanilloid isoform 4 (TRPV4) channel in human trabecular meshwork (TM) cells. Physiological levels of cyclic stretch resulted in time-dependent decreases in membrane cholesterol/phosphatidylcholine ratio and upregulation of stress fibers. Depleting free membrane cholesterol with m-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) augmented TRPV4 activation by the agonist GSK1016790A, swelling and strain, with the effects reversed by cholesterol supplementation. MβCD increased membrane expression of TRPV4, caveolin-1, and flotillin. TRPV4 did not colocalize or interact with caveolae or lipid rafts, apart from a truncated ∼75 kDa variant partially precipitated by a caveolin-1 antibody. MβCD induced currents in TRPV4-expressing Xenopus laevis oocytes. Thus, membrane cholesterol regulates trabecular transduction of mechanical information, with TRPV4 channels mainly located outside the cholesterol-enriched membrane domains. Moreover, the biomechanical milieu itself shapes the lipid content of TM membranes. Diet, cholesterol metabolism, and mechanical stress might modulate the conventional outflow pathway and intraocular pressure in glaucoma and diabetes in part by modulating TM mechanosensing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monika Lakk
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Grace F Hoffmann
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Aruna Gorusupudi
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Eric Enyong
- Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Amy Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Paul S Bernstein
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Nanna MacAulay
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael H Elliott
- Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - David Križaj
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lakk M, Križaj D. TRPV4-Rho signaling drives cytoskeletal and focal adhesion remodeling in trabecular meshwork cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2021; 320:C1013-C1030. [PMID: 33788628 PMCID: PMC8285634 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00599.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Intraocular pressure (IOP) is dynamically regulated by the trabecular meshwork (TM), a mechanosensitive tissue that protects the eye from injury through dynamic regulation of aqueous humor flow. TM compensates for mechanical stress impelled by chronic IOP elevations through increased actin polymerization, tissue stiffness, and contractility. This process has been associated with open angle glaucoma; however, the mechanisms that link mechanical stress to pathological cytoskeletal remodeling downstream from the mechanotransducers remain poorly understood. We used fluorescence imaging and biochemical analyses to investigate cytoskeletal and focal adhesion remodeling in human TM cells stimulated with physiological strains. Mechanical stretch promoted F-actin polymerization, increased the number and size of focal adhesions, and stimulated the activation of the Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK). Stretch-induced activation of the small GTPase Ras homolog family member A (RhoA), and tyrosine phosphorylations of focal adhesion proteins paxillin, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), vinculin, and zyxin were time dependently inhibited by ROCK inhibitor trans-4-[(1R)-1-aminoethyl]-N-4-pyridinylcyclohexanecarboxamide dihydrochloride (Y-27632), and by HC-067047, an antagonist of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channels. Both TRPV4 and ROCK activation were required for zyxin translocation and increase in the number/size of focal adhesions in stretched cells. Y-27632 blocked actin polymerization without affecting calcium influx induced by membrane stretch and the TRPV4 agonist GSK1016790A. These results reveal that mechanical tuning of TM cells requires parallel activation of TRPV4, integrins, and ROCK, with chronic stress leading to sustained remodeling of the cytoskeleton and focal complexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monika Lakk
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - David Križaj
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.,Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhu W, Hou F, Fang J, Bahrani Fard MR, Liu Y, Ren S, Wu S, Qi Y, Sui S, Read AT, Sherwood JM, Zou W, Yu H, Zhang J, Overby DR, Wang N, Ethier CR, Wang K. The role of Piezo1 in conventional aqueous humor outflow dynamics. iScience 2021; 24:102042. [PMID: 33532718 PMCID: PMC7829208 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Controlling intraocular pressure (IOP) remains the mainstay of glaucoma therapy. The trabecular meshwork (TM), the key tissue responsible for aqueous humor (AH) outflow and IOP maintenance, is very sensitive to mechanical forces. However, it is not understood whether Piezo channels, very sensitive mechanosensors, functionally influence AH outflow. Here, we characterize the role of Piezo1 in conventional AH outflow. Immunostaining and western blot analysis showed that Piezo1 is widely expressed by TM. Patch-clamp recordings in TM cells confirmed the activation of Piezo1-derived mechanosensitive currents. Importantly, the antagonist GsMTx4 for mechanosensitive channels significantly decreased steady-state facility, yet activation of Piezo1 by the specific agonist Yoda1 did not lead to a facility change. Furthermore, GsMTx4, but not Yoda1, caused a significant increase in ocular compliance, a measure of the eye's transient response to IOP perturbation. Our findings demonstrate a potential role for Piezo1 in conventional outflow, likely under pathological and rapid transient conditions. Piezo1 is functionally expressed in the TM, the most important tissue controlling IOP Suppression of mechanosensitive channel leads to a significant decrease in facility Our data suggest a role for Piezo in pathological situations and rapid IOP transients
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao University Medical College, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, Shandong, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University & Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Fei Hou
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao University Medical College, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, Shandong, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jingwang Fang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao University Medical College, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, Shandong, China
| | - Mohammad Reza Bahrani Fard
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA
| | - Yani Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao University Medical College, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, Shandong, China
| | - Shouyan Ren
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Shen Wu
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital Eye Center, Beijing 100730 China
| | - Yunkun Qi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao University Medical College, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, Shandong, China
| | - Shangru Sui
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao University Medical College, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, Shandong, China
| | - A Thomas Read
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA
| | | | - Wei Zou
- School of Mechatronic Engineering, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Hongxia Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao University Medical College, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, Shandong, China
| | - Jingxue Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital Eye Center, Beijing 100730 China
| | - Darryl R Overby
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ningli Wang
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital Eye Center, Beijing 100730 China
| | - C Ross Ethier
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, 30332, GA, United States
| | - KeWei Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao University Medical College, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, Shandong, China.,Institute of Innovative Drugs, Qingdao University, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, Shandong, China
| |
Collapse
|