Abstract
The animal model of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxic damage of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) is widely used to study the molecular mechanisms of RGC death and/or its prevention by neuroprotective agents. NMDA is typically applied by intravitreal injection, while contralateral control eyes are treated by the injection of PBS as vehicle. Herein we report that the procedure of an intravitreal injection alone is sufficient to cause substantial reactive changes in Müller cells and microglia throughout the entire retina. Six week old CD1 mice received a single intravitreal injection of PBS or NMDA. Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of reactive microglia and Müller cells in both NMDA- and PBS-treated eyes during the first 24 h after injection. After 7 days, the reactive changes were only present in NMDA-injected eyes, but no longer in PBS-treated eyes. Investigators using intravitreal injections in the mouse eye should be aware that vehicle-injected control eyes will undergo phenotypic changes in microglia and Müller glia, and are likely to behave differently in their biology when compared with uninjected eyes, at least within the first 24 h after experiment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Seitz R et al (2010) Norrin mediates neuroprotective effects on retinal ganglion cells via activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway and the induction of neuroprotective growth factors in Muller cells. J Neurosci 30(17):5998–6010
Seitz R, Tamm ER (2013) N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-mediated excitotoxic damage: a mouse model of acute retinal ganglion cell damage. Methods Mol Biol 935:99–109
Boche D, Perry VH, Nicoll JA (2012) Activation patterns of microglia and their identification in the human brain. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 39(1):3–18
Bringmann A, Wiedemann P (2012) Muller glial cells in retinal disease. Ophthalmologica 227(1):1–19
Humphrey MF et al (1993) A quantitative study of the lateral spread of Muller cell responses to retinal lesions in the rabbit. J Comp Neurol 334(4):545–558
Tackenberg MA et al (2009) Muller cell activation, proliferation and migration following laser injury. Mol Vis 15:1886–1896
Floyd CL et al (2004) Antagonism of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors and PLC attenuates increases in inositol trisphosphate and reduces reactive gliosis in strain-injured astrocytes. J Neurotrauma 21(2):205–216
Karumbaiah L et al (2012) The upregulation of specific interleukin (IL) receptor antagonists and paradoxical enhancement of neuronal apoptosis due to electrode induced strain and brain micromotion. Biomaterials 33(26):5983–5996
Miller WJ et al (2009) Mechanically induced reactive gliosis causes ATP-mediated alterations in astrocyte stiffness. J Neurotrauma 26(5):789–797
Eder C, Klee R, Heinemann U (1998) Involvement of stretch-activated Cl- channels in ramification of murine microglia. J Neurosci 18(18):7127–7137
Ryskamp DA et al (2011) The polymodal ion channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 modulates calcium flux, spiking rate, and apoptosis of mouse retinal ganglion cells. J Neurosci 31(19):7089–7101
Sun D et al (2009) The morphology and spatial arrangement of astrocytes in the optic nerve head of the mouse. J Comp Neurol 516(1):1–19
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this paper
Cite this paper
Seitz, R., Tamm, E. (2014). Müller Cells and Microglia of the Mouse Eye React Throughout the Entire Retina in Response to the Procedure of an Intravitreal Injection. In: Ash, J., Grimm, C., Hollyfield, J., Anderson, R., LaVail, M., Bowes Rickman, C. (eds) Retinal Degenerative Diseases. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 801. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3209-8_44
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3209-8_44
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-3208-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-3209-8
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)