Expression of c-fos and c-jun mRNA following transient retinal ischemia: an approach using ligation of the retinal central artery in the rat.
The expression of the proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-jun was examined by in situ hybridization at various timepoints following transient retinal ischemia by means of ligation of the retinal central artery in the rat. Ischemia of 90-minute duration resulted in the degeneration of neurons in both the ganglion cell layer and the inner nuclear layer at 48 hours after reperfusion. The expression of c-fos and c-jun messenger RNA throughout the entire inner nuclear layer was transiently coinduced following 90-minute retinal ischemia with a peak at 1 hour after reperfusion. This expression was also found in the ganglion cell layer at 3 hours after reperfusion. Weak signals for c-fos and c-jun mRNA were observed at 24 hours after reperfusion and returned to near control levels by 48 hours. c-jun protein expression was detected in the ganglion cell layer, the middle of the inner nuclear layer, and optic nerve head at 3 hours, but not 1 hour, after lethal ischemia/reperfusion; however, c-fos protein expression was not detected after reperfusion. Whereas no neuronal degenerative changes were found at 7 days after 30-minute ischemic retina, c-fos and c-jun messenger RNA were also induced at 1 hour postreperfusion. To our knowledge, this study is the first report to show expression patterns of immediate-early genes after retinal ischemia/reperfusion. These results suggest that changes in expression of c-fos and c-jun after transient retinal ischemia are similar to those after transient brain ischemia, and the selective occlusion of the central retinal artery will provide a useful model for studying ischemic neuronal degeneration in vivo in the rat retina.
Otori
Y
Y
Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Shimada
S
S
Morimura
H
H
Ishimoto
I
I
Tohyama
M
M
Tano
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000601:surgery; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger