title: Pigment epithelium-derived factor released by Müller glial cells exerts neuroprotective effects on retinal ganglion cells.
abstract: Survival of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) is compromised in several vision-threatening disorders such as ischemic and hypertensive retinopathies and glaucoma. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a naturally occurring pleiotropic secreted factor in the retina. PEDF produced by retinal glial (Müller) cells is suspected to be an essential component of neuron-glial interactions especially for RGC, as it can protect this neuronal type from ischemia-induced cell death. Here we show that PEDF treatment can directly affect RGC survival in vitro. Using Müller cell-RGC-co-cultures we observed that activity of Müller-cell derived soluble mediators can attenuate hypoxia-induced damage and RGC loss. Finally, neutralizing the activity of PEDF in glia-conditioned media partially abolished the neuroprotective effect of glia, leading to an increased neuronal death in hypoxic condition. Altogether our results suggest that PEDF is crucially involved in the neuroprotective process of reactive Müller cells towards RGC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 10-14, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan Darius
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Unterlauft
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Eichler
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuhne
authors.forename: Xiu Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yousef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yafai
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wiedemann
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reichenbach
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Claudepierre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D017931:DNA Primers; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015843:Serpins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D005136:Eye Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D015843:Serpins; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor