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Kim MH, Strazza P, Puthussery T, Gross OP, Taylor WR, von Gersdorff H. Functional maturation of the rod bipolar to AII-amacrine cell ribbon synapse in the mouse retina. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113440. [PMID: 37976158 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113440] [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: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ribbon synapses undergo functional changes after eye opening that remain uncharacterized. Using light-flash stimulation and paired patch-clamp recordings, we examined the maturation of the ribbon synapse between rod bipolar cells (RBCs) and AII-amacrine cells (AII-ACs) after eye opening (postnatal day 14) in the mouse retina at near physiological temperatures. We find that light-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in AII-ACs exhibit a slow sustained component that increases in magnitude with advancing age, whereas a fast transient component remains unchanged. Similarly, paired recordings reveal a dual-component EPSC with a slower sustained component that increases during development, even though the miniature EPSC (mEPSC) amplitude and kinetics do not change significantly. We thus propose that the readily releasable pool of vesicles from RBCs increases after eye opening, and we estimate that a short light flash can evoke the release of ∼4,000 vesicles onto a single mature AII-AC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mean-Hwan Kim
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
| | - Paulo Strazza
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Teresa Puthussery
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Owen P Gross
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Physics, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202, USA
| | - W Rowland Taylor
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Henrique von Gersdorff
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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Beltrán-Matas P, Hartveit E, Veruki ML. Functional properties of GABA A receptors of AII amacrine cells of the rat retina. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2023; 3:1134765. [PMID: 38983040 PMCID: PMC11182327 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2023.1134765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Amacrine cells are a highly diverse group of inhibitory retinal interneurons that sculpt the responses of bipolar cells, ganglion cells, and other amacrine cells. They integrate excitatory inputs from bipolar cells and inhibitory inputs from other amacrine cells, but for most amacrine cells, little is known about the specificity and functional properties of their inhibitory inputs. Here, we have investigated GABAA receptors of the AII amacrine, a critical neuron in the rod pathway microcircuit, using patch-clamp recording in rat retinal slices. Puffer application of GABA evoked robust responses, but, surprisingly, spontaneous GABAA receptor-mediated postsynaptic currents were not observed, neither under control conditions nor following application of high-K+ solution to facilitate release. To investigate the biophysical and pharmacological properties of GABAA receptors in AIIs, we therefore used nucleated patches and a fast application system. Both brief and long pulses of GABA (3 mM) evoked GABAA receptor-mediated currents with slow, multi-exponential decay kinetics. The average weighted time constant (τw) of deactivation was ~163 ms. Desensitization was even slower, with τw ~330 ms. Non-stationary noise analysis of patch responses and directly observed channel gating yielded a single-channel conductance of ~23 pS. Pharmacological investigation suggested the presence of α2 and/or α3 subunits, as well as the γ2 subunit. Such subunit combinations are typical of GABAA receptors with slow kinetics. If synaptic GABAA receptors of AII amacrines have similar functional properties, the slow deactivation and desensitization kinetics will facilitate temporal summation of GABAergic inputs, allowing effective summation and synaptic integration to occur even for relatively low frequencies of inhibitory inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Espen Hartveit
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Origin of Retinal Oscillatory Potentials in the Mouse, a Tool to Specifically Locate Retinal Damage. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043126. [PMID: 36834538 PMCID: PMC9958948 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
To determine the origin of oscillatory potentials (OPs), binocular electroretinogram (ERG) recordings were performed under light and dark adaptation on adult healthy C57BL/6J mice. In the experimental group, 1 μL of PBS was injected into the left eye, while the right eye was injected with 1 μL of PBS containing different agents: APB, GABA, Bicuculline, TPMPA, Glutamate, DNQX, Glycine, Strychnine, or HEPES. The OP response depends on the type of photoreceptors involved, showing their maximum response amplitude in the ERG induced by mixed rod/cone stimulation. The oscillatory components of the OPs were affected by the injected agents, with some drugs inducing the complete abolition of oscillations (APB, GABA, Glutamate, or DNQX), whereas other drugs merely reduced the oscillatory amplitudes (Bicuculline, Glycine, Strychnine, or HEPES) or did not even affect the oscillations (TPMPA). Assuming that rod bipolar cells (RBC) express metabotropic Glutamate receptors, GABAA, GABAC, and Glycine receptors and that they release glutamate mainly on Glycinergic AII amacrine cells and GABAergic A17 amacrine cells, which are differently affected by the mentioned drugs, we propose that RBC-AII/A17 reciprocal synapses are responsible for the OP generation in the ERG recordings in the mice. We conclude that the reciprocal synapses between RBC and AII/A17 are the basis of the ERG OP oscillations of the light response, and this fact must be taken into consideration in any ERG test that shows a decrease in the OPs' amplitude.
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Beltrán-Matas P, Castilho Á, Tencer B, Veruki ML, Hartveit E. Inhibitory inputs to an inhibitory interneuron: Spontaneous postsynaptic currents and GABA A receptors of A17 amacrine cells in the rat retina. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:1442-1470. [PMID: 35236011 PMCID: PMC9314042 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Amacrine cells constitute a large and heterogenous group of inhibitory interneurons in the retina. The A17 amacrine plays an important role for visual signaling in the rod pathway microcircuit of the mammalian retina. It receives excitatory input from rod bipolar cells and provides feedback inhibition to the same cells. However, from ultrastructural investigations, there is evidence for input to A17s from other types of amacrine cells, presumably inhibitory, but there is a lack of information about the identity and functional properties of the synaptic receptors and how inhibition contributes to the integrative properties of A17s. Here, we studied the biophysical and pharmacological properties of GABAergic spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (spIPSCs) and GABAA receptors of A17 amacrines, using whole-cell and outside-out patch recordings from rat retinal slices. The spIPSCs displayed fast onsets (10-90% rise time ~740 μs) and double-exponential decays (τfast ~4.5 ms [43% of amplitude]; τslow ~22 ms). Ultrafast application of brief pulses of GABA (3 mM) to patches evoked responses with deactivation kinetics best fitted by a triple-exponential function (τ1 ~5.3 ms [55% of amplitude]; τ2 ~48 ms [32% amplitude]; τ3 ~187 ms). Non-stationary noise analysis of spIPSCs and patch responses yielded single-channel conductances of ~21 and ~25 pS, respectively. Pharmacological analysis suggested that the spIPSCs are mediated by receptors with an α1βγ2 subunit composition and the somatic receptors have an α2βγ2 and/or α3βγ2 composition. These results demonstrate the presence of synaptic GABAA receptors on A17s, which may play an important role in signal integration in these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Áurea Castilho
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Barbora Tencer
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Espen Hartveit
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Multimodal imaging and functional analysis of the chick NMDA retinal damage model. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257148. [PMID: 34492087 PMCID: PMC8423281 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives The chick is rapidly becoming a standardized preclinical model in vision research to study mechanisms of ocular disease. We seek to comprehensively evaluate the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) model of excitotoxic retinal damage using multimodal imaging, functional, and histologic approaches in NMDA-damaged, vehicle-treated, and undamaged chicks. Methods Chicks were either left undamaged in both eyes or were injected with NMDA in the left eye and saline (vehicle) in the right eye. TUNEL assay was performed on chicks to assess levels of retinal cell death one day post-injection of NMDA or saline and on age-matched untreated chicks. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was performed weekly on chicks and age-matched controls day 1 (D1) up to D28 post-injection. Light adapted electroretinograms (ERG) were performed alongside SD-OCT measurements on post-injection chicks along with age-matched untreated controls. Results Untreated and vehicle-treated eyes had no TUNEL positive cells while NMDA-treated eyes accumulated large numbers of TUNEL positive cells in the Inner Nuclear Layer (INL), but not other layers, at D1 post injection. Significant inner retina swelling or edema was found on SD-OCT imaging at D1 post-injection which resolved at subsequent timepoints. Both the INL and the inner plexiform layer significantly thinned by one-week post-injection and did not recover for the duration of the measurements. On ERG, NMDA-treated eyes had significantly reduced amplitudes of all parameters at D1 with all metrics improving over time. The b-wave, oscillatory potentials, and ON/OFF bipolar responses were the most affected with at least 70% reduction immediately after damage compared to the fellow eye control. Conclusion This study establishes a normative baseline on the retinal health and gross functional ability as well as intraocular pressures of undamaged, vehicle-treated, and NMDA-damaged chicks to provide a standard for comparing therapeutic treatment studies in this important animal model.
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Beltrán-Matas P, Hartveit E, Veruki ML. Different glutamate sources and endogenous co-agonists activate extrasynaptic NMDA receptors on amacrine cells of the rod pathway microcircuit. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:4456-4474. [PMID: 34048091 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15325] [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: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The NMDA receptors (NMDARs) expressed by AII and A17 amacrine cells, the two main inhibitory interneurons of the rod pathway microcircuit in the mammalian retina, are exclusively extrasynaptic, activated by ambient levels of glutamate, and molecularly distinct, with AII and A17 amacrines expressing GluN2B- and GluN2A-containing receptors, respectively. This important sensory microcircuit thus provides a unique model to study the activation and function of extrasynaptic NMDARs. Here, we investigated the sources of glutamate and the endogenous co-agonists (d-serine or glycine) that activate these distinct populations of NMDARs. With acute slices from rat retina, we used whole-cell voltage-clamp recording and measurement of current noise to monitor levels of NMDAR activity. Pre-incubation of retina with bafilomycin A1 (an inhibitor of neurotransmitter uptake into synaptic vesicles) abolished NMDAR-mediated noise in AII, but not A17 amacrines, suggesting a vesicular source of glutamate activates AII NMDARs, whereas a non-vesicular source activates A17 NMDARs. Pre-incubation of retina with l-methionine sulfoximine (an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase) also abolished NMDAR-mediated noise in AII, but not A17 amacrines, suggesting a neuronal source of glutamate activates AII NMDARs, whereas a glial source activates A17 NMDARs. Enzymatic breakdown of d-serine reduced NMDAR-mediated noise in AII, but not A17 amacrines, suggesting d-serine is the endogenous co-agonist at AII, but not A17 NMDARs. Our results reveal unique characteristics of these two populations of extrasynaptic NMDARs. The differential and independent activation of these receptors is likely to provide specific contributions to the signal processing and plasticity of the cellular components of the rod pathway microcircuit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Espen Hartveit
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Watanabe K, Asano D, Ushikubo H, Morita A, Mori A, Sakamoto K, Ishii K, Nakahara T. Metformin Protects against NMDA-Induced Retinal Injury through the MEK/ERK Signaling Pathway in Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094439. [PMID: 33922757 PMCID: PMC8123037 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Metformin, an anti-hyperglycemic drug of the biguanide class, exerts positive effects in several non-diabetes-related diseases. In this study, we aimed to examine the protective effects of metformin against N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-induced excitotoxic retinal damage in rats and determine the mechanisms of its protective effects. Male Sprague–Dawley rats (7 to 9 weeks old) were used in this study. Following intravitreal injection of NMDA (200 nmol/eye), the number of neuronal cells in the ganglion cell layer and parvalbumin-positive amacrine cells decreased, whereas the number of CD45-positive leukocytes and Iba1-positive microglia increased. Metformin attenuated these NMDA-induced responses. The neuroprotective effect of metformin was abolished by compound C, an inhibitor of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The AMPK activator, AICAR, exerted a neuroprotective effect in NMDA-induced retinal injury. The MEK1/2 inhibitor, U0126, reduced the neuroprotective effect of metformin. These results suggest that metformin protects against NMDA-induced retinal neurotoxicity through activation of the AMPK and MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways. This neuroprotective effect could be partially attributable to the inhibitory effects on inflammatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koki Watanabe
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kitasato University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan; (K.W.); (D.A.); (H.U.); (A.M.); (A.M.); (K.S.); (K.I.)
| | - Daiki Asano
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kitasato University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan; (K.W.); (D.A.); (H.U.); (A.M.); (A.M.); (K.S.); (K.I.)
| | - Hiroko Ushikubo
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kitasato University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan; (K.W.); (D.A.); (H.U.); (A.M.); (A.M.); (K.S.); (K.I.)
- Center for Pharmaceutical Education, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yokohama University of Pharmacy, Kanagawa 245-0066, Japan
| | - Akane Morita
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kitasato University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan; (K.W.); (D.A.); (H.U.); (A.M.); (A.M.); (K.S.); (K.I.)
| | - Asami Mori
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kitasato University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan; (K.W.); (D.A.); (H.U.); (A.M.); (A.M.); (K.S.); (K.I.)
- Laboratory of Medical Pharmacology, Department of Clinical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharma-Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakamoto
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kitasato University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan; (K.W.); (D.A.); (H.U.); (A.M.); (A.M.); (K.S.); (K.I.)
- Laboratory of Medical Pharmacology, Department of Clinical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharma-Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Kunio Ishii
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kitasato University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan; (K.W.); (D.A.); (H.U.); (A.M.); (A.M.); (K.S.); (K.I.)
- Center for Pharmaceutical Education, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yokohama University of Pharmacy, Kanagawa 245-0066, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Nakahara
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kitasato University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan; (K.W.); (D.A.); (H.U.); (A.M.); (A.M.); (K.S.); (K.I.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +81-3-3444-6205
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Egger V, Diamond JS. A17 Amacrine Cells and Olfactory Granule Cells: Parallel Processors of Early Sensory Information. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:600537. [PMID: 33250720 PMCID: PMC7674606 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.600537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons typically receive synaptic input in their dendritic arbor, integrate inputs in their soma, and send output action potentials through their axon, following Cajal's law of dynamic polarization. Two notable exceptions are retinal amacrine cells and olfactory granule cells (GCs), which flout Cajal's edict by providing synaptic output from the same dendrites that collect synaptic input. Amacrine cells, a diverse cell class comprising >60 subtypes, employ various dendritic input/output strategies, but A17 amacrine cells (A17s) in particular share further interesting functional characteristics with GCs: both receive excitatory synaptic input from neurons in the primary glutamatergic pathway and return immediate, reciprocal feedback via GABAergic inhibitory synapses to the same synaptic terminals that provided input. Both neurons thereby process signals locally within their dendrites, shaping many parallels, signaling pathways independently. The similarities between A17s and GCs cast into relief striking differences that may indicate distinct processing roles within their respective circuits: First, they employ partially dissimilar molecular mechanisms to transform excitatory input into inhibitory output; second, GCs fire action potentials, whereas A17s do not. Third, GC signals may be influenced by cortical feedback, whereas the mammalian retina receives no such retrograde input. Finally, A17s constitute just one subtype within a diverse class that is specialized in a particular task, whereas the more homogeneous GCs may play more diverse signaling roles via multiple processing modes. Here, we review these analogies and distinctions between A17 amacrine cells and granule cells, hoping to gain further insight into the operating principles of these two sensory circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Egger
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jeffrey S. Diamond
- Synaptic Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Kinoshita J, Fujita K, Yasuno K, Suzuki T, Iguchi T, Nishiya T, Mori K. Outer retinal involvement in N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced inner retinal injury in rabbits assessed by optical coherence tomography. J Toxicol Sci 2020; 45:261-269. [PMID: 32404558 DOI: 10.2131/jts.45.261] [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] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
This study was aimed to investigate morphological alteration of the retina with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced injury in rabbits by optical coherence tomography (OCT). The right and left eyes of a total of 12 rabbits received single-intravitreal injection of vehicle and NMDA, respectively. Four out of the 12 animals underwent OCT and quantification of plasma microRNA repeatedly (4, 48, and 168 hr after dosing), followed by ocular histopathology at the end of the study. Ocular histopathology was also conducted in the eyes collected 4 or 48 hr after dosing from 4 animals at each time period. OCT revealed hyper-reflective ganglion cell complex and thickened inner retina in NMDA-treated eyes 4 hr after dosing; the inner retina shifted to thinning at later time points. The eyes given NMDA also exhibited greater thickness of the outer retina, which contains photoreceptors, after treatment, and thickened and obscured ellipsoid zone 168 hr after dosing. The plasma levels of miR-182 and miR-183, which are known to be highly expressed in photoreceptors, were higher 4 hr after dosing than pre-dosing values. Histopathologically, NMDA-induced inner retinal damage was confirmed: single-cell necrosis was observed in the ganglion cell layer and the inner nuclear layer 4 hr after dosing, the incidence of which decreased thereafter. At 168 hr after dosing, reduced number of ganglion cells was noted. No change was histopathologically observed in the outer retina. In conclusion, our results suggest involvement of photoreceptors in NMDA-induced inner retinal injury. Additionally, OCT revealed acute inner retinal findings suggestive of temporary edema.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junzo Kinoshita
- Medicinal Safety Research Laboratories, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd
| | - Katsumi Fujita
- Medicinal Safety Research Laboratories, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd
| | - Kyohei Yasuno
- Medicinal Safety Research Laboratories, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd
| | - Takami Suzuki
- Medicinal Safety Research Laboratories, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd
| | - Takuma Iguchi
- Medicinal Safety Research Laboratories, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd
| | | | - Kazuhiko Mori
- Medicinal Safety Research Laboratories, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd
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Van Hook MJ, Nawy S, Thoreson WB. Voltage- and calcium-gated ion channels of neurons in the vertebrate retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 2019; 72:100760. [PMID: 31078724 PMCID: PMC6739185 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we summarize studies investigating the types and distribution of voltage- and calcium-gated ion channels in the different classes of retinal neurons: rods, cones, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, interplexiform cells, and ganglion cells. We discuss differences among cell subtypes within these major cell classes, as well as differences among species, and consider how different ion channels shape the responses of different neurons. For example, even though second-order bipolar and horizontal cells do not typically generate fast sodium-dependent action potentials, many of these cells nevertheless possess fast sodium currents that can enhance their kinetic response capabilities. Ca2+ channel activity can also shape response kinetics as well as regulating synaptic release. The L-type Ca2+ channel subtype, CaV1.4, expressed in photoreceptor cells exhibits specific properties matching the particular needs of these cells such as limited inactivation which allows sustained channel activity and maintained synaptic release in darkness. The particular properties of K+ and Cl- channels in different retinal neurons shape resting membrane potentials, response kinetics and spiking behavior. A remaining challenge is to characterize the specific distributions of ion channels in the more than 100 individual cell types that have been identified in the retina and to describe how these particular ion channels sculpt neuronal responses to assist in the processing of visual information by the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Van Hook
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Scott Nawy
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience(2), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience(2), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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Guimarães-Souza EM, Joselevitch C, Britto LRG, Chiavegatto S. Retinal alterations in a pre-clinical model of an autism spectrum disorder. Mol Autism 2019; 10:19. [PMID: 31011411 PMCID: PMC6466731 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0270-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect around 1.5% of people worldwide. Symptoms start around age 2, when children fail to maintain eye contact and to develop speech and other forms of communication. Disturbances in glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling that lead to synaptic changes and alter the balance between excitation and inhibition in the developing brain are consistently found in ASD. One of the hallmarks of these disorders is hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli; however, little is known about its underlying causes. Since the retina is the part of the CNS that converts light into a neuronal signal, we set out to study how it is affected in adolescent mice prenatally exposed to valproic acid (VPA), a useful tool to study ASD endophenotypes. Methods Pregnant female mice received VPA (600 mg/kg, ip) or saline at gestational day 11. Their male adolescent pups (P29–35) were behaviorally tested for anxiety and social interaction. Proteins known to be related with ASD were quantified and visualized in their retinas by immunoassays, and retinal function was assessed by full-field scotopic electroretinograms (ERGs). Results Early adolescent mice prenatally exposed to VPA displayed impaired social interest and increased anxiety-like behaviors consistent with an ASD phenotype. The expression of GABA, GAD, synapsin-1, and FMRP proteins were reduced in their retinas, while mGluR5 was increased. The a-wave amplitudes of VPA-exposed were smaller than those of CTR animals, whereas the b-wave and oscillatory potentials were normal. Conclusions This study establishes that adolescent male mice of the VPA-induced ASD model have alterations in retinal function and protein expression compatible with those found in several brain areas of other autism models. These results support the view that synaptic disturbances with excitatory/inhibitory imbalance early in life are associated with ASD and point to the retina as a window to understand their subjacent mechanisms. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13229-019-0270-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Maria Guimarães-Souza
- 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, São Paulo, SP 05508-000 Brazil
| | - Christina Joselevitch
- 2Department of Experimental Psychology, Psychology Institute, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 1721, São Paulo, SP 05508-030 Brazil
| | - Luiz Roberto G Britto
- 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, São Paulo, SP 05508-000 Brazil
| | - Silvana Chiavegatto
- 3Department of Pharmacology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, São Paulo, SP 05508-000 Brazil.,4Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Clinics Hospital (HCFMUSP), University of São Paulo Medical School, Rua Dr. Ovidio Pires de Campos, 785, São Paulo, SP 05403-903 Brazil
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Rod Photoreceptor Activation Alone Defines the Release of Dopamine in the Retina. Curr Biol 2019; 29:763-774.e5. [PMID: 30799247 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Retinal dopamine is released by a specialized subset of amacrine cells in response to light and has a potent influence on how the retina responds to, and encodes, visual information. Here, we address the critical question of which retinal photoreceptor is responsible for coordinating the release of this neuromodulator. Although all three photoreceptor classes-rods, cones, and melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells (mRGCs)-have been shown to provide electrophysiological inputs to dopaminergic amacrine cells (DACs), we show here that the release of dopamine is defined only by rod photoreceptors. Remarkably, this rod signal coordinates both a suppressive signal at low intensities and drives dopamine release at very bright light intensities. These data further reveal that dopamine release does not necessarily correlate with electrophysiological activity of DACs and add to a growing body of evidence that rods define aspects of retinal function at very bright light levels.
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Veruki ML, Zhou Y, Castilho Á, Morgans CW, Hartveit E. Extrasynaptic NMDA Receptors on Rod Pathway Amacrine Cells: Molecular Composition, Activation, and Signaling. J Neurosci 2019; 39:627-650. [PMID: 30459218 PMCID: PMC6343648 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2267-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In the rod pathway of the mammalian retina, axon terminals of glutamatergic rod bipolar cells are presynaptic to AII and A17 amacrine cells in the inner plexiform layer. Recent evidence suggests that both amacrines express NMDA receptors, raising questions concerning molecular composition, localization, activation, and function of these receptors. Using dual patch-clamp recording from synaptically connected rod bipolar and AII or A17 amacrine cells in retinal slices from female rats, we found no evidence that NMDA receptors contribute to postsynaptic currents evoked in either amacrine. Instead, NMDA receptors on both amacrine cells were activated by ambient glutamate, and blocking glutamate uptake increased their level of activation. NMDA receptor activation also increased the frequency of GABAergic postsynaptic currents in rod bipolar cells, suggesting that NMDA receptors can drive release of GABA from A17 amacrines. A striking dichotomy was revealed by pharmacological and immunolabeling experiments, which found GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors on AII amacrines and GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors on A17 amacrines. Immunolabeling also revealed a clustered organization of NMDA receptors on both amacrines and a close spatial association between GluN2B subunits and connexin 36 on AII amacrines, suggesting that NMDA receptor modulation of gap junction coupling between these cells involves the GluN2B subunit. Using multiphoton Ca2+ imaging, we verified that activation of NMDA receptors evoked an increase of intracellular Ca2+ in dendrites of both amacrines. Our results suggest that AII and A17 amacrines express clustered, extrasynaptic NMDA receptors, with different and complementary subunits that are likely to contribute differentially to signal processing and plasticity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Glutamate is the most important excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS, but not all glutamate receptors transmit fast excitatory signals at synapses. NMDA-type glutamate receptors act as voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, with functional properties determined by their specific subunit composition. These receptors can be found at both synaptic and extrasynaptic sites on neurons, but the role of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that retinal AII and A17 amacrine cells, postsynaptic partners at rod bipolar dyad synapses, express extrasynaptic (but not synaptic) NMDA receptors, with different and complementary GluN2 subunits. The localization of GluN2A-containing receptors to A17s and GluN2B-containing receptors to AIIs suggests a mechanism for differential modulation of excitability and signaling in this retinal microcircuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Veruki
- University of Bergen, Department of Biomedicine, N-5009 Bergen, Norway, and
| | - Yifan Zhou
- University of Bergen, Department of Biomedicine, N-5009 Bergen, Norway, and
| | - Áurea Castilho
- University of Bergen, Department of Biomedicine, N-5009 Bergen, Norway, and
| | - Catherine W Morgans
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Espen Hartveit
- University of Bergen, Department of Biomedicine, N-5009 Bergen, Norway, and
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Graydon CW, Lieberman EE, Rho N, Briggman KL, Singer JH, Diamond JS. Synaptic Transfer between Rod and Cone Pathways Mediated by AII Amacrine Cells in the Mouse Retina. Curr Biol 2018; 28:2739-2751.e3. [PMID: 30122532 PMCID: PMC6133723 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
To understand computation in a neural circuit requires a complete synaptic connectivity map and a thorough grasp of the information-processing tasks performed by the circuit. Here, we dissect a microcircuit in the mouse retina in which scotopic visual information (i.e., single photon events, luminance, contrast) is encoded by rod bipolar cells (RBCs) and distributed to parallel ON and OFF cone bipolar cell (CBC) circuits via the AII amacrine cell, an inhibitory interneuron. Serial block-face electron microscopy (SBEM) reconstructions indicate that AIIs preferentially connect to one OFF CBC subtype (CBC2); paired whole-cell patch-clamp recordings demonstrate that, depending on the level of network activation, AIIs transmit distinct components of synaptic input from single RBCs to downstream ON and OFF CBCs. These findings highlight specific synaptic and circuit-level features that allow intermediate neurons (e.g., AIIs) within a microcircuit to filter and propagate information to downstream neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cole W Graydon
- Synaptic Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Evan E Lieberman
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Nao Rho
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Kevin L Briggman
- Circuit Dynamics and Connectivity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Joshua H Singer
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Diamond
- Synaptic Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Liu LL, Spix NJ, Zhang DQ. NMDA Receptors Contribute to Retrograde Synaptic Transmission from Ganglion Cell Photoreceptors to Dopaminergic Amacrine Cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:279. [PMID: 28959188 PMCID: PMC5603656 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, a line of evidence has demonstrated that the vertebrate retina possesses a novel retrograde signaling pathway. In this pathway, phototransduction is initiated by the photopigment melanopsin, which is expressed in a small population of retinal ganglion cells. These ganglion cell photoreceptors then signal to dopaminergic amacrine cells (DACs) through glutamatergic synapses, influencing visual light adaptation. We have previously demonstrated that in Mg2+-containing solution, α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA) receptors mediate this glutamatergic transmission. Here, we demonstrate that removing extracellular Mg2+ enhances melanopsin-based DAC light responses at membrane potentials more negative than −40 mV. Melanopsin-based responses in Mg2+-free solution were profoundly suppressed by the selective N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist D-AP5. In addition, application of NMDA to the retina produced excitatory inward currents in DACs. These data strongly suggest that DACs express functional NMDA receptors. We further found that in the presence of Mg2+, D-AP5 reduced the peak amplitude of melanopsin-based DAC responses by ~70% when the cells were held at their resting membrane potential (−50 mV), indicating that NMDA receptors are likely to contribute to retrograde signal transmission to DACs under physiological conditions. Moreover, our data show that melanopsin-based NMDA-receptor-mediated responses in DACs are suppressed by antagonists specific to either the NR2A or NR2B receptor subtype. Immunohistochemical results show that NR2A and NR2B subunits are expressed on DAC somata and processes. These results suggest that DACs express functional NMDA receptors containing both NR2A and NR2B subunits. Collectively, our data reveal that, along with AMPA receptors, NR2A- and NR2B-containing NMDA receptors mediate retrograde signal transmission from ganglion cell photoreceptors to DACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei-Lei Liu
- Eye Research Institute, Oakland UniversityRochester, MI, United States
| | - Nathan J Spix
- Eye Research Institute, Oakland UniversityRochester, MI, United States
| | - Dao-Qi Zhang
- Eye Research Institute, Oakland UniversityRochester, MI, United States
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Kuehn S, Rodust C, Stute G, Grotegut P, Meißner W, Reinehr S, Dick HB, Joachim SC. Concentration-Dependent Inner Retina Layer Damage and Optic Nerve Degeneration in a NMDA Model. J Mol Neurosci 2017; 63:283-299. [PMID: 28963708 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-017-0978-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The intravitreal injection of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), a glutamate analogue, is an established model for fast retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration. Yet, NMDA does not cause specific RGC damage. Now, the effects on the whole retina were analyzed. Additionally, the related effects for the structure and apoptotic levels of the optic nerve were investigated. Therefore, different NMDA concentrations were intravitreally injected in rats (20, 40, or 80 nmol NMDA or PBS). At days 3 and 14, Brn-3a+ RGCs were degenerated. A damage of calretinin+ amacrine cells was also recognized at day 14. Only a slight damage was observed in regard to PKCα+ bipolar cells, while rhodopsin+ photoreceptors remained intact. A long-lasting retinal microglia response was observed from day 3 up to day 14. Furthermore, a partial degeneration of the optic nerve was noted. At day 3, the SMI-32+ neurofilaments were just slightly affected, whereas the neurofilament structure was further degenerated at day 14. However, the luxol fast blue (LFB)-stained myelin structure remained intact from day 3 up to day 14. Interestingly, apoptotic mechanisms, like FasL and Fas co-localization as well as caspase 3 activation, were restricted to the optic nerve of the highest NMDA group at this late stage of degeneration. The degeneration of the optic nerve is probably only a side effect of neuronal degeneration of the inner retinal layers. The intact myelin structure might form a barrier against the direct influence of NMDA. In conclusion, this model is very suitable to test therapeutic agents, but it is important to analyze all inner retina layers and the optic nerve to determine their efficacy in this model more precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Kuehn
- Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany
| | - Cara Rodust
- Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany
| | - Gesa Stute
- Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany
| | - Pia Grotegut
- Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany
| | - Wilhelm Meißner
- Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sabrina Reinehr
- Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany
| | - H Burkhard Dick
- Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stephanie C Joachim
- Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany.
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Hartveit E, Zandt BJ, Madsen E, Castilho Á, Mørkve SH, Veruki ML. AMPA receptors at ribbon synapses in the mammalian retina: kinetic models and molecular identity. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:769-804. [PMID: 28936725 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1520-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In chemical synapses, neurotransmitter molecules released from presynaptic vesicles activate populations of postsynaptic receptors that vary in functional properties depending on their subunit composition. Differential expression and localization of specific receptor subunits are thought to play fundamental roles in signal processing, but our understanding of how that expression is adapted to the signal processing in individual synapses and microcircuits is limited. At ribbon synapses, glutamate release is independent of action potentials and characterized by a high and rapidly changing rate of release. Adequately translating such presynaptic signals into postsynaptic electrical signals poses a considerable challenge for the receptor channels in these synapses. Here, we investigated the functional properties of AMPA receptors of AII amacrine cells in rat retina that receive input at spatially segregated ribbon synapses from OFF-cone and rod bipolar cells. Using patch-clamp recording from outside-out patches, we measured the concentration dependence of response amplitude and steady-state desensitization, the single-channel conductance and the maximum open probability. The GluA4 subunit seems critical for the functional properties of AMPA receptors in AII amacrines and immunocytochemical labeling suggested that GluA4 is located at synapses made by both OFF-cone bipolar cells and rod bipolar cells. Finally, we used a series of experimental observables to develop kinetic models for AII amacrine AMPA receptors and subsequently used the models to explore the behavior of the receptors and responses generated by glutamate concentration profiles mimicking those occurring in synapses. These models will facilitate future in silico modeling of synaptic signaling and processing in AII amacrine cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Espen Hartveit
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Bas-Jan Zandt
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway.,Blue Brain Project, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eirik Madsen
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Radiology, Førde Central Hospital, Førde, Norway
| | - Áurea Castilho
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway
| | - Svein Harald Mørkve
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Neurosurgery, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Margaret Lin Veruki
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway.
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