title: Inhibition of BDNF-AS Provides Neuroprotection for Retinal Ganglion Cells against Ischemic Injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protects retinal ganglion cells against ischemia in ocular degenerative diseases. We aimed to determine the effect of BDNF-AS on the ischemic injury of retinal ganglion cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The levels of BDNF and BDNF-AS were measured in retinal ganglion cells subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation. The lentiviral vectors were constructed to either overexpress or knock out BDNF-AS. The luciferase reporter gene assay was used to determine whether BDNF-AS could target its seed sequence on BDNF mRNA. The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay was used to determine cell viability, and TUNEL staining was used for cell apoptosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of BDNF-AS were negatively correlated with BDNF in ischemic retinal ganglion cells. BDNF-AS directly targeted its complementary sequences on BDNF mRNA. BDNF-AS regulated the expression of BDNF and its related genes in retinal ganglion cells. Down-regulation of BDNF-AS increased cell viability and decreased the number of TUNEL-positive retinal ganglion cells under oxygen and glucose deprivation conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inhibition of BDNF-AS protected retinal ganglion cells against ischemia by increasing the levels of BDNF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Lifang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Ziyin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Tianhua
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary, Wuxi No.2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Tu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000172:deficiency; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C000613900:long noncoding RNA BDNF-AS, mouse; D008156:Luciferases; D005947:Glucose; D010100:Oxygen