Growth hormone and retinal ganglion cell function: QNR/D cells as an experimental model.
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) have been shown to be sites of growth hormone (GH) production and GH action in the embryonic (embryo day 7, ED7) chick neural retina. Primary RGC cell cultures were previously used to determine autocrine or paracrine actions of GH in the retina, but the antibody used in their immunopanning (anti-Thy-1) is no longer available. We have therefore characterized an immortalized neural retina (QNR/D) cell line derived from ED7 embryonic quail as a replacement experimental model. These cells express the GH gene and have GH receptor (GHR)-immunoreactivity. They are also immunoreactive for RGC markers (islet-1, calretinin, RA4) and neural fibers (neurofilament, GAP 43, vimentin) and they express the genes for Thy-1, neurotrophin 3 (NTF3), neuritin 1 (NRN1) and brn3 (POU4F). These cells are also electrically active and therefore resemble the RGCs in the neural retina. They are also similarly responsive to exogenous GH, which induces overexpression of the neurotrophin 3 and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) 1 genes and stimulates cell survival, as in the chick embryo neural retina. QNR/D cells are therefore a useful experimental model to assess the actions of GH in retinal function.
Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2H7, Canada.
Carlos
C
Martínez-Moreno
Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2H7, Canada.
Alexis
A
Andres
Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2H7, Canada.
Daniel
D
Giterman
Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2H7, Canada.
Edward
E
Karpinski
Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2H7, Canada. Electronic address: steve.harvey@ualberta.ca.
Steve
S
Harvey
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004594:Electrophysiology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008954:Models, Biological; D011784:Quail / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055351:Retinal Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D015415:Biomarkers; D013006:Growth Hormone
Autocrine; Chicken; Growth hormone; Neural retina; Paracrine; Retinal ganglion cells