title: Chloride channel protein 2 prevents glutamate-induced apoptosis in retinal ganglion cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of chloride channel protein 2 (ClC-2) in glutamate-induced apoptosis in the retinal ganglion cell line (RGC-5).
  
  
  METHODS
  RGC-5 cells were treated with 1 mM glutamate for 24 hr. The expression of ClC-2, Bax, and Bcl-2 was detected by western blot analysis. Cell survival and apoptosis were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Caspase-3 and -9 activities were determined by a colorimetric assay. The roles of ClC-2 in glutamate-induced apoptosis were examined by using ClC-2 complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) and small inference ribonucleic acid (RNA) transfection technology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overexpression of ClC-2 in RGC-5 cells significantly decreased glutamate-induced apoptosis and increased cell viability, whereas silencing of ClC-2 with short hairpin (sh) RNA produced opposite effects. ClC-2 overexpression increased the expression of Bcl-2, decreased the expression of Bax, and decreased caspase-3 and -9 activation in RGC-5 cells treated with glutamate, but silencing of ClC-2 produced opposite effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that ClC-2 chloride channels might play a protective role in glutamate-induced apoptosis in retinal ganglion cells via the mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130041, P.R. China; Department of Ophthalmology, The China-Japan Union Hospitial of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130033, Xiantai Street No. 126, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Miao-Miao
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Department of Colon and Anal Surgery, the First hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Sen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The China-Japan Union Hospitial of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130033, Xiantai Street No. 126, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Ling-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The China-Japan Union Hospitial of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130033, Xiantai Street No. 126, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The China-Japan Union Hospitial of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130033, Xiantai Street No. 126, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The China-Japan Union Hospitial of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130033, Xiantai Street No. 126, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130041, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ya-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zheng
keywords: Apoptosis; Chloride channel protein 2 Neuroprotection; Chloride channels; Retinal ganglion cells