title: Elevated levels of RhoA in the optic nerve head of human eyes with glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine changes in the expression profile of RhoA and Rho kinase (ROCK-1 and ROCK-2) in the aqueous humor outflow pathway and optic nerve head (ONH) of human eyes with or without glaucoma to explore their potential involvement in glaucoma pathophysiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age-matched paraffin-embedded postmortem eyes from patients with or without glaucoma were stained immunohistochemically using polyclonal antibodies raised against RhoA, ROCK-1, and ROCK-2. The intensity of the immunostaining in the aqueous humor outflow pathway and the ONH was graded by 4 individuals who were masked concerning whether the eyes were from normal individuals or those with glaucoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both normal eyes and those with glaucoma showed a positive staining for RhoA, ROCK-1, and ROCK-2 in the trabecular meshwork, ciliary muscle, and ONH. There was a significant increase in the RhoA protein levels in the glaucomatous ONH compared with the age-matched controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated levels of RhoA in the ONH of glaucomatous eyes suggest possible involvement of RhoA in the pathophysiology of glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goldhagen
authors.forename: Alan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Proia
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Ponugoti Vasantha
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000869:Anterior Eye Segment / Q000378:metabolism; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000378:metabolism*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D014019:Tissue Donors; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C066737:RHOA protein, human; C515851:ROCK1 protein, human; C515852:ROCK2 protein, human; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein