title: Functional and anatomical remodeling in human retinal detachment.
abstract: Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is by far the most common indication for retinal surgery and a major cause of severe vision loss. Increased levels of glutamate found in the vitreous of human patients and persistent remodeling, even after reattachment, suggest substantial neurochemical, functional and anatomical changes have occurred in the detached retina. Therefore, this study was designed to characterize the morphological changes and glutamate receptor functionality in human rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. A cation channel permeating probe, agmatine (1-amino-4-guanidobutane; AGB), was employed to track endogenous and kainate (KA) driven channel functionality combined with immunocytochemical characterization of cellular remodeling. In the detached retina increased AGB permeability was identified in the outer retina while there was a decrease in the inner retina in basal conditions. KA receptors exhibited increased AGB permeability in ON bipolar cells and decreased permeability in calbindin labeled inner retinal cells. All retinal detachment samples demonstrated ectopic synaptic protein expression, photoreceptor processes extending toward the inner retina, and other remodeling features of retinal degeneration. These anatomical changes have been demonstrated in animal studies and are novel features unreported in primary cases of human retinal detachment. We conclude that deafferentation in retinal detachment leads to alteration of the glutamatergic pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Clairton F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalloniatis
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Polkinghorne
authors.forename: Charles N J
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: McGhee
authors.forename: Monica L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Acosta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000376:Agmatine / Q000494:pharmacology; D064026:Calbindins; D016923:Cell Death; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D051245:Retinal Bipolar Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000376:Agmatine; D064026:Calbindins; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G