title: Characterization of Fatty Acid Binding Protein 7 (FABP7) in the Murine Retina.
abstract: To characterize the mouse retina lacking fatty acid binding protein (FABP7-/-).
  
  
  
  Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed in 8-week-old mice to localize FABP7 in the retina. Retinal thickness was measured using image-guided spectral-domain optical coherence topography images. Electroretinography was carried out to assess retinal function. Fundus photography and fundus fluorescein angiography were performed on FABP7-/- and littermate wild-type (WT) mice, and retinal vascular changes were calculated using Singapore I Vessel Assessment (SIVA) analysis. Blood glucose levels were measured in the 8-week-old WT and FABP7-/- mice. In addition, retina was processed for trypsin digestion and retinal flat mounts for isolectin staining. Transcript levels of FABP7, VEGF, GFAP, and Na+K+ATPase were quantified using real-time PCR, and protein expression was analyzed by IHC and Western blot.
  
  
  
  Fatty acid binding protein 7 is expressed in the inner nuclear layer, outer plexiform layer, and photoreceptor inner segments. No significant difference in retinal thickness and ERG responses was observed between FABP7-deficient and WT retinas. FABP7-/- mice have significantly decreased retinal venular caliber retinal arteriolar fractal dimension compared with WT littermates. FABP7-/- mice showed significant increased areas of fluorescein leakage in the retina. FABP7-/- mice exhibited elevated high blood glucose levels compared with WT mice. Trypsin digested FABP7-/- mice retina showed increased acellular strands and endothelial cell drop outs, and reduced microvasculature branching compared with WT retina. FABP7-/- mice retina also have increased GFAP and VEGF expression.
  
  
  
  Fatty acid binding protein 7 is expressed in the retina and might play an important role in maintaining retinal vasculature.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore 2Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, SIPRAD (IMCB-SERI Program in Retinal Angiogenic Diseases), A*STAR, Singapore 3Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Nat.
authors.forename: Xinyi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore 2Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, SIPRAD (IMCB-SERI Program in Retinal Angiogenic Diseases), A*STAR, Singapore.
authors.forename: Queenie S W
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore 2Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, SIPRAD (IMCB-SERI Program in Retinal Angiogenic Diseases), A*STAR, Singapore.
authors.forename: Bhav H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Parikh
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore 2Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, SIPRAD (IMCB-SERI Program in Retinal Angiogenic Diseases), A*STAR, Singapore.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore 2Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, SIPRAD (IMCB-SERI Program in Retinal Angiogenic Diseases), A*STAR, Singapore.
authors.forename: Milan N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yeo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sia Wey
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.
authors.forename: Sai Bo Bo
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Tun
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ling-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore 3Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 4Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program, DUKE-NUS Gra.
authors.forename: Tien Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, SIPRAD (IMCB-SERI Program in Retinal Angiogenic Diseases), A*STAR, Singapore 5Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hunziker
authors.affiliation: Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia 7Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Chi D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Luu
authors.affiliation: Yamaguchi University, Department of Organ Anatomy, Ube, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Owada
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore 3Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 4Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program, DUKE-NUS Gra.
authors.forename: Veluchamy A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Barathi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: Samuel S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Ocular Immunology and Angiogenesis Lab, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States.
authors.forename: Shyam S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chaurasia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004596:Electroretinography; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7