title: Hypothermia Protects and Prolongs the Tolerance Time of Retinal Ganglion Cells against Ischemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hypothermia has been shown to be neuroprotective in the therapy of ischemic stroke in the brain. To date no studies exist on the level of the inner retina and it is unclear if hypothermia would prolong the ischemic tolerance time of retinal ganglion cells, which are decisive in many ischemic retinopathies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bovine eyes were enucleated and stored either at 21°C or 37°C for 100 or 340 minutes, respectively. Afterwards the globes were dissected, the retina was prepared and either the spontaneous ganglion cell responses were measured or the retina was incubated as an organotypic culture for additional 24 hours. After incubation the retina was either processed for histology (H&E and DAPI staining) or real-time PCR (Thy-1 expression) was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypothermia prolonged ganglion cell survival up to 340 minutes under ischemic conditions. In contrast to eyes kept at 37°C the eyes stored at 21°C still showed spontaneous ganglion cell spiking (56.8% versus 0%), a 5.8 fold higher Thy-1 mRNA expression (not significant, but a trend) and a preserved retinal structure after 340 minutes of ischemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypothermia protects retinal ganglion cells against ischemia and prolongs their ischemic tolerance time.
authors: Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Maximilian
authors: M
authors: Schultheiss
authors: Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Sven
authors: S
authors: Schnichels
authors: Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany.
authors: Thoralf
authors: T
authors: Hermann
authors: Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Jose
authors: J
authors: Hurst
authors: Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Marita
authors: M
authors: Feldkaemper
authors: Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Blanca
authors: B
authors: Arango-Gonzalez
authors: Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Marius
authors: M
authors: Ueffing
authors: Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Karl U
authors: KU
authors: Bartz-Schmidt
authors: Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany.
authors: Guenther
authors: G
authors: Zeck
authors: Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Martin S
authors: MS
authors: Spitzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D007511:Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018800:Thy-1 Antigens