Retinal glial cell responses and Fas/FasL activation in rats with chronic ocular hypertension.
Responses in the retina post injury provoke glial reactions that are not completely understood. This study investigated the reaction of retinal glial cells and the expression and localization of the Fas and Fas-ligand (FasL) in rats with chronic ocular hypertension. Experimental glaucoma was induced in one eye of 60 Sprague-Dawley rats by cauterizing three episcleral vessels. It caused a moderate intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation and significant retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss for at least 6 weeks in all animals. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expression of GFAP and OX-42 increased in the injured retinae. Fas/FasL immunoreactivity was elevated in the microglia, and we also observed an incremental increase in Fas associated death domain (FADD) immunoreactivity in Müller glial cells and RGCs in the IOP-elevated retinae. The activation of glial cells and upregulation of Fas and FasL suggest that glial cells may contribute to Fas-mediated cell death in the neurodegeneration process of chronic ocular hypertensive retinal insult.
Ju
Kwang Ro
KR
Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong, Socho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Hwa Sun
HS
Kim
Jie Hyun
JH
Lee
Na Young
NY
Park
Chan Kee
CK
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D053200:Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000378:metabolism; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism*
C505535:Fadd protein, rat; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D053200:Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D019014:fas Receptor