Toxic effect of methamphetamine on the retina of CD1 mice.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether systemic administration of methamphetamine (METH) induces retinal damage in CD1 mice.


METHODS
Eighteen male CD1 mice were randomly assigned to three groups, six mice per group: Group 1 receiving a single dose of 40 mg/kg METH, Group 2 receiving four doses of 10 mg/kg METH, and Group 3 (control) receiving 40 mg/kg 0.9% NaCl solution. METH and NaCl were administered by intraperitoneal injection. Immunostaining of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S-100 for astrocytes and Muller cells, CD11b for microglia, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and TUNEL labeling for apoptotic cell death were performed on the retinal sections on day 1 and day 7 post-exposure.


RESULTS
GFAP and S-100 immunoreactivity was observed in Group 1 mice. CD11b+ cells in Group 1 mice showed more intensely stained shorter and thicker cellular processes than Groups 2 and 3, indicating activated microglia in the mice exposed to large-dose METH. No significant difference in TH level was seen among the three groups. TUNEL labeling did not reveal positive cells in the retinas of any of the 18 CD1 mice.


CONCLUSIONS
A single large dose of METH induces an increase in short-term protein expression of GFAP and S-100 and in microglial activation. The results suggest that METH has a neurotoxic effect on CD1 mouse retina.
Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Hong
H
Lai
Huiyang
H
Zeng
Cheng
C
Zhang
Lin
L
Wang
Mark O M
MO
Tso
Shenghan
S
Lai
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D039481:CD11b Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
D039481:CD11b Antigen; D015259:Dopamine Agents; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009418:S100 Proteins; D008694:Methamphetamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase