[The experimental study of effect of pressure on rat retinal Muller cell in vitro].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the changes of morphology, activity and ability of metabolizing glutamate in Muller cell and investigate the role of Muller cell in the damage induced by glaucoma.


METHODS
Cultured Muller cells were divided into two groups at random, one was control group without any treatment, in the experimental group the cells were cultured under pressure of 50 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) for 1 hour, after 3 days additional incubation, the morphology of the cells in two groups was observed by inverse phase microscope and electron microscope, the cells survival were evaluated by MTT colorimetry assay and the expression of mRNA of glutamine synthetase was semi-quantified by RT-PCR.


RESULTS
No obvious morphology changes were found by inverse phase microscope in the two groups, swelling mitochondrion and Vacuoles in cytoplasm were found in pressured group by electron microscope; the numbers of MTT reading and the mRNA expression in the cells under pressure were decreased, the differences was statistic significance compared with control (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Morphology changes were found in the cells under pressure, and the ability of metabolizing glutamate was decreased, which may be one of the reasons of the elevated level of glutamate in the vitreous of glaucoma patients.
Li
Shu-Ning
SN
Ophthalmology Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Medical College, Qingdao 266003, China. lishuningqd@hotmail.com
Wang
Jing-Hua
JH
Wang
Da-Bo
DB
Bai
Hai-Qing
HQ
D000818:Animals; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011312:Pressure; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase