Transcriptional activation in lens epithelial cells following an ocular blunt trauma.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether an ocular blunt trauma activates anterior ocular segment (cornea and lens) by examining the expression patterns of c-fos and c-jun mRNAs in these tissues of an eye of adult rat following a blunt trauma.


METHODS
Department of Ophthalmology, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, Kimiidera, Wakayama, Japan.


METHODS
Adult Wistar rats (n=36) were generally anesthetized by ether inhalation. One eye was hit with an iron sphere (30 gram) that fell to the eye from 1 m. After the procedure, the animals were killed and the affected eye was enucleated at 15, 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes. In situ hybridization using radiolabeled oligoprobes was used to detect mRNAs of c-fos and c-jun in tissue.


RESULTS
The c-fos and c-jun mRNAs were not detected in the epithelium of uninjured cornea and lens by in situ hybridization. The mRNAs for c-fos and c-jun were then detected in corneal epithelium from 15 to 60 minutes posttreatment, and were no longer observed thereafter. In lens epithelium, mRNA for c-fos or c-jun were transiently detected from 15 to 60 minutes or 30 minutes posttreatment, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The c-fos and c-jun mRNAs were transiently expressed in corneal and lens epithelial cells after blunt trauma. Ocular blunt trauma activates corneal and lens epithelial cells without apparent corneal ablation or direct injury in the lens epithelium. Such activation in lens epithelium might be involved in cataractogenesis.
Shirai
Kumi
K
Department of Ophthalmology, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan. shirai@wakayama-med.ac.jp
Saika
Shizuya
S
Okada
Yuka
Y
Miyamoto
Takeshi
T
Ueyama
Takashi
T
Ohnishi
Yoshitaka
Y
D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000235:genetics*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000235:genetics*
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger