TrkB and p-trkB expression in brain-derived neurotrophic factor-pretreated rat retina following acute high intraocular pressure

BACKGROUND： Exogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） promotes retinal ganglion cell survival. However, the protective mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE： To investigate changes in retinal tyrosine kinase receptor B （trkB） expression and effects of exogenous BDNF on trkB activation in a rat model of acute high intraocular pressure （HtOP）. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A randomized, controlled, animal experiment was performed at the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University from January 2004 to August 2006. MATERIALS： Rabbit anti-BDNF and anti-trkB.FL（full-length） polyclonal antibodies were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology, USA; rabbit anti-p-trkB polyclonal antibodies were purchased from Cellsignal, USA. METHODS： A total of 48 healthy, adult, Sprague Dawiey rats were randomly assigned to acute HIOP （without BDNF pre-treatment） and BDNF pre-treated groups, with 24 animals in each group. In the BDNF pre-treated group, the left eyes were intravitreally injected with 3 pg/kg BDNF 2 days prior to HIOP. Rats in the acute HIOP group were not pre-treated with BDNE HIOP models were established by increased intraocular pressure in the left eyes until the b-wave of flash electroretinogragh disappeared and pressure was maintained for 60 minutes. The right eyes of all rats were not treated and served as the normal controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Retinal structure and cell numbers in the ganglion cell layer （GCL） were detected by Nissl staining; expression of trkB and phosphorylated trkB in the rat retina were determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS： A greater number of GCL neurons were observed in the pre-treated group compared to the acute HIOP group （P 〈 0.05）. TrkB expression was significantly increased following HIOP at days 1 and 3 （P 〈 0.05）, but expression varied between retinal areas. Although trkB expression decreased at 7 days, phosphorylated trkB dramatically decreased with increasing time （P 〈 0.05）. TrkB expression in BDNF pre-treated rats was similar to the acute HIOP group at early injury time points. Nevertheless, trkB expression was significantly decreased compared to the acute HIOP group at 7 days （P 〈 0.05）, and phosphorylated trkB expression was significantly greater compared to the acute HIOP group at each time point （P〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： TrkB expression displayed temporal and spatial changes in the rat retina following acute HIOP, and trkB up-regulation suggested that more BDNF was required for treating the injured retina. Exogenous BDNF partially ameliorated decreased expression of phosphorylated trkB and provided protection to the injured retina, to a certain degree, following HIOP.

Dynamic changes of inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in rat's retina and its role on blood-retinal barrier injury after acute high intraocular pressure

AIM: To clarify the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase(i NOS) in blood-retinal barrier(BRB) injury after acute high intraocular pressure(IOP) in rats.METHODS: Forty-two Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were randomized into 7 groups [control(Cont), 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h, n=6]. Except Cont group, other groups’ retina tissue was obtained at corresponding time points after a model of acute high IOP have been established in rats. The expression of i NOS and tight junction protein zonula occludens(ZO)-1 was detected by Western blotting. Evans blue(EB;3%) was injected into the great saphenous vein to detect the leakage of EB by spectrophotometer. Nine rats were divided into Cont, 6 h, 12 h groups, the expression of i NOS was localized by immunofluorescence. In order to verify the role of i NOS in the damage to BRB, thirty-six rats were randomly divided into 4 groups [Cont, Cont+inhibitor(Inh), 6 h and 6 h+Inh, n=9]. After treatment with the i NOSspecific inhibitor 1400 W, the expression of i NOS and ZO-1 and the leakage of BRB were detected again.RESULTS: The immunofluorescence results showed that the expression of i NOS was observed in the Cont group and 6 h group, but not in the 12 h group. i NOS was mainly expressed in the retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell layer and inner nuclear layer and that it did not colocalize with the retinal ganglion cell marker Neu N but was co-expressed with the vascular endothelial cell marker CD31. Western blotting showed that in the early period(3 h, 6 h) after acute high IOP, the expression of i NOS was upregulated, then the down-regulation of i NOS were tested in the follow-up timing spots. ZO-1 expression showed a continuous downregulation after 6 h. The quantitative results for EB showed that the amount of EB leakage began to increase at 3 h after acute high IOP. At 6 h, the leakage of EB was lower, but at 12 h, the leakage of EB was highest, after which it gradually recovered but remained higher than that in the Cont group. The expression of i NOS was down-regulated after 1400 W treatment. ZO-1 expression was not significantly changed in the Cont+Inh group and the 6 h group, and significantly down-regulated in the 6 h+Inh group, and the leakage of EB was significantly increased after 1400 W treatment.CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the upregulation of i NOS expression in the early stage after acute high IOP may have a protective effect on BRB injury.