title: Investigating degeneration of the retina in young and aged tau P301L mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tau is a microtubule-binding protein facilitating the stability of the cytoskeleton. It is important for neurons as several neurodegenerative diseases involve hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau. It is known that mutated tau P301L results in aggregation of tau proteins, leading to neuronal loss in the brain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of tau mutation on the retina using a transgenic tau P301L mouse model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Morphometric analysis was utilized to quantify the neurodegenerative changes, including the thickness of the inner nuclear layer (INL), and the density and size of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Sections of retina tissue stained by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemistry were analyzed. Comparisons were made between the tau P301L mice and control mice, as well as between different age groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant decrease in the thickness of the INL in tau P301L mice was found when compared with that of control mice. The effect was more pronounced in the peripheral area, and the effect increased with age. Regarding density of RGCs, tau P301L mice showed a similar age-related decline as in control mice. Furthermore, the RGCs from tau P301L mice increased in size with age, and the RGCs from control mice decreased in size with age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tau may be an age-independent factor of accelerated neurodegeneration, with effects differing by types of neurons and regions of the retina.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Wing Lau
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Yen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Sally Shuk Yee
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Carmen Ka Ming
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Lok
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Yuen-Shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Center of Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Xifei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Ophthalmology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: ckirischiu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: rccchang@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Raymond Chuen-Chung
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D016875:tau Proteins
keywords: Aging; Neurodegeneration; Retina; Retinal ganglion cells; Tau