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Pang Y, Bang JW, Kasi A, Li J, Parra C, Fieremans E, Wollstein G, Schuman JS, Wang M, Chan KC. Contributions of Brain Microstructures and Metabolism to Visual Field Loss Patterns in Glaucoma Using Archetypal and Information Gain Analyses. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2024; 65:15. [PMID: 38975942 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.8.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose To investigate the contributions of the microstructural and metabolic brain environment to glaucoma and their association with visual field (VF) loss patterns by using advanced diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI), proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and clinical ophthalmic measures. Methods Sixty-nine glaucoma and healthy subjects underwent dMRI and/or MRS at 3 Tesla. Ophthalmic data were collected from VF perimetry and optical coherence tomography. dMRI parameters of microstructural integrity in the optic radiation and MRS-derived neurochemical levels in the visual cortex were compared among early glaucoma, advanced glaucoma, and healthy controls. Multivariate regression was used to correlate neuroimaging metrics with 16 archetypal VF loss patterns. We also ranked neuroimaging, ophthalmic, and demographic attributes in terms of their information gain to determine their importance to glaucoma. Results In dMRI, decreasing fractional anisotropy, radial kurtosis, and tortuosity and increasing radial diffusivity correlated with greater overall VF loss bilaterally. Regionally, decreasing intra-axonal space and extra-axonal space diffusivities correlated with greater VF loss in the superior-altitudinal area of the right eye and the inferior-altitudinal area of the left eye. In MRS, both early and advanced glaucoma patients had lower gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, and choline levels than healthy controls. GABA appeared to associate more with superonasal VF loss, and glutamate and choline more with inferior VF loss. Choline ranked third for importance to early glaucoma, whereas radial kurtosis and GABA ranked fourth and fifth for advanced glaucoma. Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of non-invasive neuroimaging biomarkers and analytical modeling for unveiling glaucomatous neurodegeneration and how they reflect complementary VF loss patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyin Pang
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
| | - Ji Won Bang
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
| | - Anisha Kasi
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
| | - Jeremy Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
| | - Carlos Parra
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
| | - Els Fieremans
- Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, New York, United States
| | - Gadi Wollstein
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, United States
- Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Joel S Schuman
- Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Drexel University School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Studies, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Mengyu Wang
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Kevin C Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
- Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, United States
- Neuroscience Institute and Tech4Health Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
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2
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Rodríguez-Ramírez KT, Norte-Muñoz M, Lucas-Ruiz F, Gallego-Ortega A, Calzaferri F, García-Bernal D, Martínez CM, Galindo-Romero C, de los Ríos C, Vidal-Sanz M, Agudo-Barriuso M. Retinal response to systemic inflammation differs between sexes and neurons. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1340013. [PMID: 38384465 PMCID: PMC10880026 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1340013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Neurological dysfunction and glial activation are common in severe infections such as sepsis. There is a sexual dimorphism in the response to systemic inflammation in both patients and animal models, but there are few comparative studies. Here, we investigate the effect of systemic inflammation induced by intraperitoneal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the retina of male and female mice and determine whether antagonism of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis have protective effects on the retina. Methods A single intraperitoneal injection of LPS (5 mg/kg) was administered to two months old C57BL/6J male and female mice. Retinas were examined longitudinally in vivo using electroretinography and spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival and microglial activation were analysed in flat-mounts. Retinal extracts were used for flow cytometric analysis of CD45 and CD11b positive cells. Matched plasma and retinal levels of proinflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA. Retinal function and RGC survival were assessed in animals treated with P2X7R and TNFR1 antagonists alone or in combination. Results In LPS-treated animals of both sexes, there was transient retinal dysfunction, loss of vision-forming but not non-vision forming RGCs, retinal swelling, microglial activation, cell infiltration, and increases in TNF and IL-1β. Compared to females, males showed higher vision-forming RGC death, slower functional recovery, and overexpression of lymphotoxin alpha in their retinas. P2X7R and TNFR1 antagonism, alone or in combination, rescued vision-forming RGCs. P2X7R antagonism also rescued retinal function. Response to treatment was better in females than in males. Conclusions Systemic LPS has neuronal and sex-specific adverse effects in the mouse retina, which are counteracted by targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome and the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Our results highlight the need to analyse males and females in preclinical studies of inflammatory diseases affecting the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristy T. Rodríguez-Ramírez
- Grupo de Investigación Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - María Norte-Muñoz
- Grupo de Investigación Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - Fernando Lucas-Ruiz
- Grupo de Investigación Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - Alejandro Gallego-Ortega
- Grupo de Investigación Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - Francesco Calzaferri
- Instituto-Fundación Teófilo Hernando and Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - David García-Bernal
- Grupo de Trasplante Hematopoyético y Terapia Celular, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular B e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - Carlos M. Martínez
- Plataforma de Patología, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - Caridad Galindo-Romero
- Grupo de Investigación Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - Cristóbal de los Ríos
- Instituto-Fundación Teófilo Hernando and Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Manuel Vidal-Sanz
- Grupo de Investigación Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - Marta Agudo-Barriuso
- Grupo de Investigación Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
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3
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Basavarajappa D, Galindo-Romero C, Gupta V, Agudo-Barriuso M, Gupta VB, Graham SL, Chitranshi N. Signalling pathways and cell death mechanisms in glaucoma: Insights into the molecular pathophysiology. Mol Aspects Med 2023; 94:101216. [PMID: 37856930 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2023.101216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Glaucoma is a complex multifactorial eye disease manifesting in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death and optic nerve degeneration, ultimately causing irreversible vision loss. Research in recent years has significantly enhanced our understanding of RGC degenerative mechanisms in glaucoma. It is evident that high intraocular pressure (IOP) is not the only contributing factor to glaucoma pathogenesis. The equilibrium of pro-survival and pro-death signalling pathways in the retina strongly influences the function and survival of RGCs and optic nerve axons in glaucoma. Molecular evidence from human retinal tissue analysis and a range of experimental models of glaucoma have significantly contributed to unravelling these mechanisms. Accumulating evidence reveals a wide range of molecular signalling pathways that can operate -either alone or via intricate networks - to induce neurodegeneration. The roles of several molecules, including neurotrophins, interplay of intracellular kinases and phosphates, caveolae and adapter proteins, serine proteases and their inhibitors, nuclear receptors, amyloid beta and tau, and how their dysfunction affects retinal neurons are discussed in this review. We further underscore how anatomical alterations in various animal models exhibiting RGC degeneration and susceptibility to glaucoma-related neuronal damage have helped to characterise molecular mechanisms in glaucoma. In addition, we also present different regulated cell death pathways that play a critical role in RGC degeneration in glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devaraj Basavarajappa
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Caridad Galindo-Romero
- Experimental Ophthalmology Group, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca) & Ophthalmology Department, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Marta Agudo-Barriuso
- Experimental Ophthalmology Group, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca) & Ophthalmology Department, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Veer B Gupta
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stuart L Graham
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nitin Chitranshi
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
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4
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Wurl JA, Mac Nair CE, Dietz JA, Shestopalov VI, Nickells RW. Contralateral Astrocyte Response to Acute Optic Nerve Damage Is Mitigated by PANX1 Channel Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15641. [PMID: 37958624 PMCID: PMC10647301 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115641] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glial reactivity is considered a hallmark of damage-induced innate immune responses in the central nervous system. In the visual system, unilateral optic nerve damage elicits dramatic glial reactivity in the retina directly affected by the lesion and a similar, albeit more modest, effect in the contralateral eye. Evaluation of astrocyte changes in a mouse model of optic nerve crush indicates that astrocyte reactivity, as a function of retinal coverage and cellular hypertrophy, occurs within both the experimental and contralateral retinas, although the hypertrophic response of the astrocytes in the contralateral eyes is delayed for at least 24 h. Evaluation of astrocytic reactivity as a function of Gfap expression indicates a similar, muted but significant, response in contralateral eyes. This constrained glial response is completely negated by conditional knock out of Panx1 in both astrocytes and Müller cells. Further studies are required to identify if this is an autocrine or a paracrine suppression of astroglial reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine A. Wurl
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (J.A.W.); (C.E.M.N.); (J.A.D.)
| | - Caitlin E. Mac Nair
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (J.A.W.); (C.E.M.N.); (J.A.D.)
| | - Joel A. Dietz
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (J.A.W.); (C.E.M.N.); (J.A.D.)
| | - Valery I. Shestopalov
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA;
| | - Robert W. Nickells
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (J.A.W.); (C.E.M.N.); (J.A.D.)
- McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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5
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Zaidi SAH, Xu Z, Lemtalsi T, Sandow P, Athota S, Liu F, Haigh S, Huo Y, Narayanan SP, Fulton DJR, Rojas MA, Fouda AY, Caldwell RW, Caldwell RB. Calbindin 2-specific deletion of arginase 2 preserves visual function after optic nerve crush. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:661. [PMID: 37816735 PMCID: PMC10564748 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06180-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
We previously found that global deletion of the mitochondrial enzyme arginase 2 (A2) limits optic nerve crush (ONC)-induced neuronal death. Herein, we examined the cell-specific role of A2 in this pathology by studies using wild type (WT), neuronal-specific calbindin 2 A2 KO (Calb2cre/+ A2 f/f), myeloid-specific A2 KO (LysMcre/+ A2f/f), endothelial-specific A2 KO (Cdh5cre/+ A2f/f), and floxed controls. We also examined the impact of A2 overexpression on mitochondrial function in retinal neuronal R28 cells. Immunolabeling showed increased A2 expression in ganglion cell layer (GCL) neurons of WT mice within 6 h-post injury and inner retinal neurons after 7 days. Calb2 A2 KO mice showed improved neuronal survival, decreased TUNEL-positive neurons, and improved retinal function compared to floxed littermates. Neuronal loss was unchanged by A2 deletion in myeloid or endothelial cells. We also found increased expression of neurotrophins (BDNF, FGF2) and improved survival signaling (pAKT, pERK1/2) in Calb2 A2 KO retinas within 24-hour post-ONC along with suppression of inflammatory mediators (IL1β, TNFα, IL6, and iNOS) and apoptotic markers (cleavage of caspase3 and PARP). ONC increased GFAP and Iba1 immunostaining in floxed controls, and Calb2 A2 KO dampened this effect. Overexpression of A2 in R28 cells increased Drp1 expression, and decreased mitochondrial respiration, whereas ABH-induced inhibition of A2 decreased Drp1 expression and improved mitochondrial respiration. Finally, A2 overexpression or excitotoxic treatment with glutamate significantly impaired mitochondrial function in R28 cells as shown by significant reductions in basal respiration, maximal respiration, and ATP production. Further, glutamate treatment of A2 overexpressing cells did not induce further deterioration in their mitochondrial function, indicating that A2 overexpression or glutamate insult induce comparable alterations in mitochondrial function. Our data indicate that neuronal A2 expression is neurotoxic after injury, and A2 deletion in Calb2 expressing neurons limits ONC-induced retinal neurodegeneration and improves visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed A H Zaidi
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
| | - Zhimin Xu
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Tahira Lemtalsi
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Porsche Sandow
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Sruthi Athota
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Fang Liu
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- Research Division, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, 30904, USA
| | - Stephen Haigh
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Yuqing Huo
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - S Priya Narayanan
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- Research Division, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, 30904, USA
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- Program in Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - David J R Fulton
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Modesto A Rojas
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Abdelrahman Y Fouda
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Robert W Caldwell
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Ruth B Caldwell
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
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6
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Cabrera-Maqueda JM, Boia R, Lucas-Ruiz F, González-Riquelme MJ, Ambrósio AF, Santiago AR, Vidal-Sanz M, Agudo-Barriuso M, Galindo-Romero C. Neuroinflammation and gliosis in the injured and contralateral retinas after unilateral optic nerve crush. Exp Eye Res 2023; 235:109627. [PMID: 37619829 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109627] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
The main purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of unilateral optic nerve crush in the gene expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators, and gliosis markers in injured and contralateral retinas. Retinas from intact, unilaterally optic nerve injured or sham-operated C57BL/6J mice were analyzed 1, 3, 9 and 30 days after the surgery (n = 5/group and time point) and the relative expression of TGF-β1, IL-1β, TNF-α, Iba1, AQP4, GFAP, MHCII, and TSPO was analyzed in injured and contralateral using qPCR. The results indicated that compared with intact retinas, sham-operated animals showed an early (day 1) upregulation of IL-1β, TNF-α and TSPO and a late (day 30) upregulation of TNF-α. In sham-contralateral retinas, TNF-α and TSPO mRNA expression were upregulated and day 30 while GFAP, Iba1, AQP4 and MHCII downregulated at day 9. Compared with sham-operated animals, in retinas affected by optic nerve crush GFAP and TSPO upregulated at day 1 and TNF-α, Iba1, AQP4 and MHCII at day 3. In the crushed-contralateral retinas, TGF-β1, TNF-α, Iba1 and MHCII were upregulated at day 1. TSPO was upregulated up to day 30 whereas TGF-β1 and Iba1 downregulated after day 9. In conclusion, both sham surgery and optic nerve crush changed the profile of inflammatory and gliosis markers in the injured and contralateral retinas, changes that were more pronounced for optic nerve crush when compared to sham.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Cabrera-Maqueda
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Campus de Ciencias de la Salud, 30120, Murcia, Spain; Center of Neuroimmunology, Service of Neurology, Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Boia
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Coimbra, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Fernando Lucas-Ruiz
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Campus de Ciencias de la Salud, 30120, Murcia, Spain
| | - María José González-Riquelme
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Campus de Ciencias de la Salud, 30120, Murcia, Spain
| | - António Francisco Ambrósio
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Coimbra, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Raquel Santiago
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Coimbra, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Manuel Vidal-Sanz
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Campus de Ciencias de la Salud, 30120, Murcia, Spain
| | - Marta Agudo-Barriuso
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Campus de Ciencias de la Salud, 30120, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Caridad Galindo-Romero
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Campus de Ciencias de la Salud, 30120, Murcia, Spain.
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7
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Skelton LA, Ramachandra Rao S, Allen RS, Motz CT, Pardue MT, Fliesler SJ. Retinal gliosis and phenotypic diversity of intermediate filament induction and remodeling upon acoustic blast overpressure (ABO) exposure to the rat eye. Exp Eye Res 2023; 234:109585. [PMID: 37481225 PMCID: PMC10730083 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by acoustic blast overpressure (ABO) is frequently associated with chronic visual deficits in military personnel and civilians. In this study, we characterized retinal gliotic response in adult male rats following a single ABO exposure directed to one side of the head. Expression of gliosis markers and intermediate filaments was assessed at 48 h and 1 wk post-ABO exposure, in comparison to age-matched non-exposed control retina. In response to a single ABO exposure, type III IF, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was variably induced in a subpopulation of retinal Müller glia in ipsilateral eyes. ABO-exposed eyes exhibited radial Müller glial GFAP filament extension through the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and the inner nuclear layer (INL) through the retina in both the nasal quadrant and juxta-optic nerve head (jONH) eye regions at 1 wk post-ABO. We observed an ∼6-fold increase (p ≤ 0.05) in radial glial GFAP immunolabeling in the IPL in both eye regions, in comparison to regionally matched controls. Similarly, GFAP extension through the INL into the outer retina was elevated ∼3-fold, p ≤ 0.05 in the nasal retina, but exhibited wider variability in the jONH retina. In contrast, constitutive type III IF vimentin exhibited greater remodeling in retinal Müller glia through the jONH retina compared to the nasal retina in response to ABO. We observed areas of lateral vimentin remodeling through the Müller glial end-feet, and greater mid-outer retinal radial vimentin IF extension in a subpopulation of glia at 1 wk post-ABO. We also observed a significant increase in total retinal levels of the type III IF desmin in ABO-exposed retina vs. controls (∼1.6-fold, p ≤ 0.01). In addition, ABO-exposure elicited varied glial induction of developmentally regulated type VI family IFs (nestin and synemin) in subpopulations of Müller cells at 48 h and 1 wk post-ABO. We demonstrate that multiple glial phenotypes emerge in the rat retina following a single ABO exposure, rather than a global homogeneous retinal glial response, involving less well characterized IF protein forms which warrant further investigation in the context of ABO-induced retinal gliosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara A Skelton
- Research Service, VA Western NY Healthcare System - Buffalo VAMC, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Sriganesh Ramachandra Rao
- Research Service, VA Western NY Healthcare System - Buffalo VAMC, Buffalo, NY, USA; Departments of Ophthalmology and Biochemistry and Neuroscience Graduate Program, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Rachael S Allen
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Healthcare System - Atlanta VAMC, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Cara T Motz
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Healthcare System - Atlanta VAMC, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Machelle T Pardue
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Healthcare System - Atlanta VAMC, Decatur, GA, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Steven J Fliesler
- Research Service, VA Western NY Healthcare System - Buffalo VAMC, Buffalo, NY, USA; Departments of Ophthalmology and Biochemistry and Neuroscience Graduate Program, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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8
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Zhu H, Wu E, Pan Z, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Liao Q, Wang Y, Sun Y, Ye M, Wu W. Development of an Aptamer-Based Molecular Tool for Specifically Targeting Microglia via the CD64 Protein. Anal Chem 2023; 95:3238-3246. [PMID: 36716100 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Microglial dysfunction has been identified as a key factor in the pathology of several traumatic and neurodegenerative diseases in the central nervous system. Due to the importance of microglia in various pathological processes, the development of molecular tools to target microglia may be of significance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of these disorders. In this study, a DNA aptamer, ZH-1c, that binds microglia with high affinity was developed by cell-SELEX and truncated strategies. ZH-1c exhibits promising binding ability under physiological temperatures, high serum stability after being modified, and can be internalized by microglia. Also, the binding target of ZH-1c on microglia was identified as the transmembrane protein CD64, which increased in response to inflammatory stimulation via lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma, thus enhancing the affinity of ZH-1c for activated microglia. Based on the above experiments, the DNA aptamer ZH-1c exhibits great potential for the targeting of activated inflammatory microglia and may be suitable as a novel and effective molecular tool for diagnosis and microglia-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhu
- The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang325027, China.,Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang325000, China
| | - Ende Wu
- The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang325027, China.,Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang325000, China
| | - Zhaoqi Pan
- The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang325027, China.,Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang325000, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang325027, China
| | - Yanchen Zhang
- The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang325027, China
| | - Qianling Liao
- The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang325027, China
| | - Yanan Wang
- The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang325027, China
| | - Yiping Sun
- The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang325027, China
| | - Mao Ye
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan410082, China
| | - Wencan Wu
- The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang325027, China.,Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang325000, China
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9
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Comparative Analysis of Retinal Organotypic Cultures and In Vivo Axotomized Retinas. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043481. [PMID: 36834893 PMCID: PMC9962025 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043481] [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: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal organotypic cultures (ROCs) are used as an in vivo surrogate to study retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss and neuroprotection. In vivo, the gold standard to study RGC degeneration and neuroprotection is optic nerve lesion. We propose here to compare the course of RGC death and glial activation between both models. The left optic nerve of C57BL/6 male mice was crushed, and retinas analyzed from 1 to 9 days after the injury. ROCs were analyzed at the same time points. As a control, intact retinas were used. Retinas were studied anatomically to assess RGC survival, microglial, and macroglial activation. Macroglial and microglial cells showed different morphological activation between models and were activated earlier in ROCs. Furthermore, microglial cell density in the ganglion cell layer was always lower in ROCs than in vivo. RGC loss after axotomy and in vitro followed the same trend up to 5 days. Thereafter, there was an abrupt decrease in viable RGCs in ROCs. However, RGC somas were still immuno-identified by several molecular markers. ROCs are useful for proof-of-concept studies on neuroprotection, but long-term experiments should be carried out in vivo. Importantly, the differential glial activation observed between models and the concomitant death of photoreceptors that occurs in vitro may alter the efficacy of RGC neuroprotective therapies when tested in in vivo models of optic nerve injury.
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McGrady NR, Holden JM, Ribeiro M, Boal AM, Risner ML, Calkins DJ. Axon hyperexcitability in the contralateral projection following unilateral optic nerve crush in mice. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac251. [PMID: 36267329 PMCID: PMC9576152 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac251] [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: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Optic neuropathies are characterized by degeneration of retinal ganglion cell axonal projections to the brain, including acute conditions like optic nerve trauma and progressive conditions such as glaucoma. Despite different aetiologies, retinal ganglion cell axon degeneration in traumatic optic neuropathy and glaucoma share common pathological signatures. We compared how early pathogenesis of optic nerve trauma and glaucoma influence axon function in the mouse optic projection. We assessed pathology by measuring anterograde axonal transport from retina to superior colliculus, current-evoked optic nerve compound action potential and retinal ganglion cell density 1 week following unilateral optic nerve crush or intraocular pressure elevation. Nerve crush reduced axon transport, compound axon potential and retinal ganglion cell density, which were unaffected by intraocular pressure elevation. Surprisingly, optic nerves contralateral to crush demonstrated 5-fold enhanced excitability in compound action potential compared with naïve nerves. Enhanced excitability in contralateral sham nerves is not due to increased accumulation of voltage-gated sodium channel 1.6, or ectopic voltage-gated sodium channel 1.2 expression within nodes of Ranvier. Our results indicate hyperexcitability is driven by intrinsic responses of αON-sustained retinal ganglion cells. We found αON-sustained retinal ganglion cells in contralateral, sham and eyes demonstrated increased responses to depolarizing currents compared with those from naïve eyes, while light-driven responses remained intact. Dendritic arbours of αON-sustained retinal ganglion cells of the sham eye were like naïve, but soma area and non-phosphorylated neurofilament H increased. Current- and light-evoked responses of sham αOFF-sustained retinal ganglion cells remained stable along with somato-dendritic morphologies. In retinas directly affected by crush, light responses of αON- and αOFF-sustained retinal ganglion cells diminished compared with naïve cells along with decreased dendritic field area or branch points. Like light responses, αOFF-sustained retinal ganglion cell current-evoked responses diminished, but surprisingly, αON-sustained retinal ganglion cell responses were similar to those from naïve retinas. Optic nerve crush reduced dendritic length and area in αON-sustained retinal ganglion cells in eyes ipsilateral to injury, while crush significantly reduced dendritic branching in αOFF-sustained retinal ganglion cells. Interestingly, 1 week of intraocular pressure elevation only affected αOFF-sustained retinal ganglion cell physiology, depolarizing resting membrane potential in cells of affected eyes and blunting current-evoked responses in cells of saline-injected eyes. Collectively, our results suggest that neither saline nor sham surgery provide a true control, chronic versus acute optic neuropathies differentially affect retinal ganglion cells composing the ON and OFF pathways, and acute stress can have near-term effects on the contralateral projection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nolan R McGrady
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, AA7103 MCN/VUIIS, 1161 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Joseph M Holden
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, AA7103 MCN/VUIIS, 1161 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Marcio Ribeiro
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, AA7103 MCN/VUIIS, 1161 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Andrew M Boal
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, AA7103 MCN/VUIIS, 1161 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Michael L Risner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, AA7103 MCN/VUIIS, 1161 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - David J Calkins
- Correspondence to: David J. Calkins, PhD AA7103 MCN/VUIIS 1161 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37232, USA E-mail:
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11
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Immune recognition of syngeneic, allogeneic and xenogeneic stromal cell transplants in healthy retinas. STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY 2022; 13:430. [PMID: 35987845 PMCID: PMC9392272 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-03129-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Advanced therapies using adult mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for neurodegenerative diseases are not effectively translated into the clinic. The cross talk between the transplanted cells and the host tissue is something that, despite its importance, is not being systematically investigated. Methods We have compared the response of the mouse healthy retina to the intravitreal transplantation of MSCs derived from the bone marrow in four modalities: syngeneic, allogeneic, xenogeneic and allogeneic with immunosuppression using functional analysis in vivo and histology, cytometry and protein measurement post-mortem. Data were considered significant (p < 0.05) after nonparametric suitable statistical tests. Results Transplanted cells remain in the vitreous and are cleared by microglial cells a process that is quicker in allotransplants regardless of immunosuppression. All transplants cause anatomical remodelling which is more severe after xenotransplants. Xeno- and allotransplants with or without immunosuppression cause macro- and microglial activation and retinal functional impairment, being xenotransplants the most detrimental and the only ones that recruit CD45+Iba1−cells. The profile of proinflammatory cytokines changes in all transplantation settings. However, none of these changes affect the retinal ganglion cell population. Conclusions We show here a specific functional and anatomical retinal response depending on the MSC transplantation modality, an aspect that should be taken into consideration when conducting preclinical studies if we intend a more realistic translation into clinical practice. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-022-03129-y.
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Peña JS, Vazquez M. Harnessing the Neuroprotective Behaviors of Müller Glia for Retinal Repair. FRONT BIOSCI-LANDMRK 2022; 27:169. [PMID: 35748245 PMCID: PMC9639582 DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2706169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Progressive and irreversible vision loss in mature and aging adults creates a health and economic burden, worldwide. Despite the advancements of many contemporary therapies to restore vision, few approaches have considered the innate benefits of gliosis, the endogenous processes of retinal repair that precede vision loss. Retinal gliosis is fundamentally driven by Müller glia (MG) and is characterized by three primary cellular mechanisms: hypertrophy, proliferation, and migration. In early stages of gliosis, these processes have neuroprotective potential to halt the progression of disease and encourage synaptic activity among neurons. Later stages, however, can lead to glial scarring, which is a hallmark of disease progression and blindness. As a result, the neuroprotective abilities of MG have remained incompletely explored and poorly integrated into current treatment regimens. Bioengineering studies of the intrinsic behaviors of MG hold promise to exploit glial reparative ability, while repressing neuro-disruptive MG responses. In particular, recent in vitro systems have become primary models to analyze individual gliotic processes and provide a stepping stone for in vivo strategies. This review highlights recent studies of MG gliosis seeking to harness MG neuroprotective ability for regeneration using contemporary biotechnologies. We emphasize the importance of studying gliosis as a reparative mechanism, rather than disregarding it as an unfortunate clinical prognosis in diseased retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan S. Peña
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey, Piscataway (08854), New Jersey, USA
| | - Maribel Vazquez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey, Piscataway (08854), New Jersey, USA
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13
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Ly6c as a New Marker of Mouse Blood Vessels: Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses on Intact and Ischemic Retinas. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010019. [PMID: 35008441 PMCID: PMC8744623 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Ly6c is an antigen commonly used to differentiate between classical and non-classical monocytes/macrophages. Here we show its potential as a marker of the mouse vasculature, particularly of the retinal vascular plexuses. Ly6c was immunodetected in several tissues of C57BL/6 mice using isolectin IB4 as the control of vasculature staining. In the retina, Ly6c expression was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively in intact, ischemic, and contralateral retinas from 0 to 30 days after the insult. Ly6c expression was observed in all organs and tissues tested, with a brighter signal and more homogeneous staining than the IB4. In the retinas, Ly6c was well expressed, allowing a detailed study of their anatomy. The three retinal plexuses were morphologically different, and from the superficial to the deep one occupied 15 ± 2, 24 ± 7, and 38 ± 1.4 percent of the retinal surface, respectively. In the injured retinas, there was extravasation of the classically activated monocyte/macrophages (Ly6chigh) and the formation of new vessels in the superficial plexus, increasing the area occupied by it to 25 ± 1%. In the contralateral retinas, the superficial plexus area decreased gradually, reaching significance at 30 days, and Ly6c expression progressively disappeared in the intermediate and deep plexuses. Although the role of Ly6c in vascular endothelial cell function is still not completely understood, we demonstrate here that Ly6c can be used as a new specific marker of the mouse vasculature and to assess, qualitatively and quantitatively, vascular changes in health and disease.
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14
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Galindo-Romero C, Vidal-Villegas B, Asís-Martínez J, Lucas-Ruiz F, Gallego-Ortega A, Vidal-Sanz M. 7,8-Dihydroxiflavone Protects Adult Rat Axotomized Retinal Ganglion Cells through MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT Activation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910896. [PMID: 34639236 PMCID: PMC8509499 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We analyze the 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF)/TrkB signaling activation of two main intracellular pathways, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/AKT, in the neuroprotection of axotomized retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Methods: Adult albino Sprague-Dawley rats received left intraorbital optic nerve transection (IONT) and were divided in two groups. One group received daily intraperitoneal DHF (5 mg/kg) and another vehicle (1%DMSO in 0.9%NaCl) from one day before IONT until processing. Additional intact rats were employed as control (n = 4). At 1, 3 or 7 days (d) after IONT, phosphorylated (p)AKT, p-MAPK, and non-phosphorylated AKT and MAPK expression levels were analyzed in the retina by Western blotting (n = 4/group). Radial sections were also immunodetected for the above-mentioned proteins, and for Brn3a and vimentin to identify RGCs and Müller cells (MCs), respectively (n = 3/group). Results: IONT induced increased levels of p-MAPK and MAPK at 3d in DHF- or vehicle-treated retinas and at 7d in DHF-treated retinas. IONT induced a fast decrease in AKT in retinas treated with DHF or vehicle, with higher levels of phosphorylation in DHF-treated retinas at 7d. In intact retinas and vehicle-treated groups, no p-MAPK or MAPK expression in RGCs was observed. In DHF- treated retinas p-MAPK and MAPK were expressed in the ganglion cell layer and in the RGC nuclei 3 and 7d after IONT. AKT was observed in intact and axotomized RGCs, but the signal intensity of p-AKT was stronger in DHF-treated retinas. Finally, MCs expressed higher quantities of both MAPK and AKT at 3d in both DHF- and vehicle-treated retinas, and at 7d the phosphorylation of p-MAPK was higher in DHF-treated groups. Conclusions: Phosphorylation and increased levels of AKT and MAPK through MCs and RGCs in retinas after DHF-treatment may be responsible for the increased and long-lasting RGC protection afforded by DHF after IONT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caridad Galindo-Romero
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Campus de CC de la Salud, Universidad de Murcia e Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB) Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, 30120 Murcia, Spain; (B.V.-V.); (J.A.-M.); (F.L.-R.); (A.G.-O.); (M.V.-S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-8-688-893-09
| | - Beatriz Vidal-Villegas
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Campus de CC de la Salud, Universidad de Murcia e Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB) Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, 30120 Murcia, Spain; (B.V.-V.); (J.A.-M.); (F.L.-R.); (A.G.-O.); (M.V.-S.)
- Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Asís-Martínez
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Campus de CC de la Salud, Universidad de Murcia e Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB) Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, 30120 Murcia, Spain; (B.V.-V.); (J.A.-M.); (F.L.-R.); (A.G.-O.); (M.V.-S.)
| | - Fernando Lucas-Ruiz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Campus de CC de la Salud, Universidad de Murcia e Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB) Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, 30120 Murcia, Spain; (B.V.-V.); (J.A.-M.); (F.L.-R.); (A.G.-O.); (M.V.-S.)
| | - Alejandro Gallego-Ortega
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Campus de CC de la Salud, Universidad de Murcia e Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB) Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, 30120 Murcia, Spain; (B.V.-V.); (J.A.-M.); (F.L.-R.); (A.G.-O.); (M.V.-S.)
| | - Manuel Vidal-Sanz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Campus de CC de la Salud, Universidad de Murcia e Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB) Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, 30120 Murcia, Spain; (B.V.-V.); (J.A.-M.); (F.L.-R.); (A.G.-O.); (M.V.-S.)
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