Brain Research 889 (2001) 251–255
www.elsevier.com/locate/bres
Short communication
A different retinal glia response to optic nerve injury/
lipopolysaccharide administration in hooded and albino rats
abbb,
*
Ralf Engelmann , Daniela C. Dieterich , Annett Bien , Michael R. Kreutz
a
¨
Forschergruppe
‘
Visuelle Entwicklung und Plastizitat
’,
Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology
,
Magdeburg
,
Germany
b
¨
AG
‘
Molekulare Plastizitatsmechanismen
’
Department of Neurochemistry/Molecular Biology
,
Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology
,
Magdeburg
,
Germany
Accepted 17 October 2000
Abstract
Despite a massive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) after optic nerve crush (ONC) in hooded rats only a minor increase in
retinal glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-immunoreactivity was found in the inner retina. Interestingly, a combination of ONC with the
administration of the proinflammatory agent lipopolysaccharide (LPS) but not LPS alone induces increased GFAP-immunoreactivity. In
contrast albino rats showed elevated GFAP-immunoreactivity in response to both, LPS-administration and ONC with no further increase
after a combination of both. These data demonstrate significant differences in retinal glia responsiveness between hooded and albino rats
after optic nerve lesions. 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Theme
:
Development and regeneration
Topic
:
Glia and other non-neuronal cells
¨
Keywords
:
Ganglion cell death; Muller glia; Axonal lesion; Astrocytes; Xenon irradiation
A common feature of reactive astrogliosis in the injured although the number of degenerating RGC after ONC is
brain is the increased expression of GFAP [17]. After slightly lower than after a complete crush [3,18,22]. It is
axonal injury of periphal nerves it has been shown that widely accepted that the functional properties of activated
microglial and astroglial cells are rapidly activated close to glia cells have important impact on neuronal survival, axon
the axotomized neurons [15]. In line, following motor axon regeneration, and plasticity. To further characterize the
injury astrocytes rapidly upregulate the gap junction process of RGC degeneration we examined the regulation
protein connexin-43 and GFAP [1]. Concomitantly, mi- of retinal glial GFAP-expression in response to graded
croglial cells proliferate and migrate towards the axotom- ONC in hooded and albino rats.
ized neuron perikarya. After injury of central axons, Male hooded rats from the PVG and BDE/Han strain
however, the glial cell responses around the affected (age 12 weeks/purchased from Moellegard; Berlin; F.R.G.;
neuron perikarya appears to be minimal or absent, unless Harlan Winkelmann, Borchen, F.R.G.) or albino rats from
neuron degeneration occurs [1]. In contrast microglia the Sprague Dawley (local breeding facilities of the
proliferates and astrocytes upregulate GFAP along central Leibniz-Institute for Neurobiology) and Wistar strain
axons undergoing anterograde, Wallerian, degeneration. (Harlan Winkelmann, Borchen, F.R.G) were utilized in all
After graded ONC cellular degeneration of RGC occurs experiments. The rats were anesthetized with a mixture of
mainly between day 5 and 14 post injury [3], which is Ketamin and Rompun (50 mg/kg i.p. and 10 mg/kg i.p.)
comparable to the degeneration process after optic nerve and then the conjunctiva was incised laterally. ONC was
transection at equal distance to the optic nerve head [21], performed as described previously [3,18]. After crush, a
local antibiotic was applied into the cut at the conjunctiva,
to prevent infections. For the LPS experiments rats were
*Corresponding author. Tel.: 149-391-626-3518; fax: 149-391-626-
slightly anesthetized with Halothan (chamber inhalation,
3229.
E-mail address
:
kreutz@ifn-magdeburg.de (M.R. Kreutz).
approx. 3% v/v), and then a single dose of bacteriotoxin
0006-8993/01/$ – see front matter 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII: S0006-8993(00)03145-0