Age-dependent decrease of retinal kynurenate and kynurenine aminotransferases in DBA/2J mice, a model of ocular hypertension.
The study examines age-dependent changes of kynurenic acid (KYNA) content and kynurenine aminotransferases (KAT I and KAT II) celluar expression in the retinas of DBA/2J mice. Retinas were obtained from DBA/2J mice of different ages (3, 6 and 11 months). C57BL6 mice were used as controls. As measured with HPLC, KYNA content decreased (p < 0.01) in the retinas of 6-month-old DBA/2J mice and continued to decrease (p < 0.0074) in the retinas of 11-month-old animals compared to the controls. Immunohistochemistry showed that expression of both KAT I and KAT II decreased markedly in the retinas of 11-month-old DBA/2J mice compared to controls. The impairment in KYNA biosynthesis in the retinas of DBA/2J mice may be one of the mechanisms of retinal neurodegeneration related to ocular hypertension.
Rejdak
Robert
R
Department of Pathophysiology of Vision and Neuro-Ophthalmology, Division of Experimental Opthalmology, University Eye Hospital, Röntgenweg 11, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. rrejdak@yahoo.com
Kohler
Konrad
K
Kocki
Tomasz
T
Shenk
Yana
Y
Turski
Waldemar A
WA
Okuno
Etsuo
E
Lehaci
Cristiana
C
Zagorski
Zbigniew
Z
Zrenner
Eberhart
E
Schuettauf
Frank
F
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007736:Kynurenic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D023421:Models, Animal; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000637:Transaminases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
D000637:Transaminases; C021481:kynurenine-oxoglutarate transaminase; D007736:Kynurenic Acid