Lipid-bloated subretinal microglial cells are at the origin of drusen appearance in CX3CR1-deficient mice.
Drusen, the white yellowish deposits that can be seen in funduscopy, are a hallmark of age-related macular degeneration. Histologically, drusen are believed to be dome-shaped or more confluent lipid accumulations between the retinal pigment epithelium and the choriocapillaries. Recent advances in mouse funduscopy have revealed the presence of drusen-like structures in chemokine knockout animals in the absence of sizeable dome-shaped material below the retinal pigment epithelium. We show that aged CX3CR1-/- mice present with drusen-like appearance in funduscopy that is associated with a progressive age-related microglial cell accumulation in the subretinal space. We demonstrate that the anatomical equivalent of the drusen-like appearance in these mice are lipid-bloated subretinal microglial cells rather than subretinal pigment epithelium deposits [Combadière C, et al: J Clin Invest 2007;117:2920-2928].
Raoul
W
W
Inserm, UMR S 872, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.
Feumi
C
C
Keller
N
N
Lavalette
S
S
Houssier
M
M
Behar-Cohen
F
F
Combadière
C
C
Sennlaub
F
F
D000818:Animals; D000073883:CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D017628:Microglia / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000502:physiology*; D015593:Retinal Drusen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000073883:CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1; C471885:Cx3cr1 protein, mouse; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine