Retinal microglial activation in glaucoma:evolution over time in a unilateral ocular hypertension model

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative chronic pathology,characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells(RGC),which leads to an irreversible vision field loss.The increased intraocular pressure(IOP)constitutes its main risk factor.Nowadays,the main treatments for glaucoma are focused on decreasing IOP;nevertheless,the progression of the disease continues,despite IOP control.This fact shows the existence of other factors that could contribute to the advance of glaucomatous neurodegeneration.The early diagnostics,the use of neuroprotective therapies,and knowledge of the pathological processes are the major challenges associated with the management of this disease.Different pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed to be responsible for RGC death,including oxidative stress,mitochondrial dysfunction,glutamate excitotoxicity,and neuroinflammation(Casson et al.,2012).