Abstract
Purpose:
Ferrets have binocular vision unlike mice, therefore ferrets are suitable for analyzing the visual system damage caused by glaucoma. Recent studies report the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) are damaged by glaucoma. The mechanism of the damage of the LGN was unknown closely. The LGN of ferret has the A and A1 layers. The A layer is projected contralaterally, and the A1 layer is projected ipsilaterally. We histologically investigate the neurons and neural glial cells in LGN.
Methods:
Ferret OH model was used based on our previous report.1 Red or green labeled CTB was injected to right or left eye to detect the degeneration of the visual system from eye to LGN, respectively. Neuron, microglia and astrocyte were stained with NeuN, Iba-1, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The number of neuron and microglia stained with NeuN and Iba-1, and the staining intensity of CTB and GFAP in the A and A1 layers of square of 200 x 200 μm were compared with the normal LGN using Image J. Statistical analysis was performed with unpaired t-test.<br /> <br /> 1. Fujishiro T, et al. Establishment of an experimental ferret ocular hypertension model for the analysis of central visual pathway damage. Sci Rep. 2014.
Results:
The staining intensity of CTB was 19.1 ± 8.8 AU (right : R), 5.0 ± 5.1 AU (left : L) in the A layer, and 4.7 ± 4.3 AU (R), 16.8 ± 6.1 AU (L) in the A1 layer. The staining intensity was significantly decreased in the layers projected from right eye compared with normal LGN. (p < 0.05)<br /> The number of neuron stained with NeuN was 26.3 ± 3.6 (R), 19.2 ± 3.5 (L) in the A layer, and 18.3 ± 1.9 (R), 22.3 ± 2.3 (L) in the A1 layer. The number of neuron was significantly decreased in the layers projected from right eye compared with normal LGN. (p < 0.01)<br /> The number of microglia stained with Iba-1 was 28.5 ± 3.5 (R), 37.0 ± 3.1 (L) in the A layer, and 22.0 ± 1.8 (R), 16.0 ± 2.7 (L) in the A1 layer. The number of microglia was significantly decreased in the layers projected from right eye compared with normal LGN. (p < 0.01)<br /> The staining intensity of GFAP was 157.6 ± 17.8 AU (R), 176.8 ± 13.4 AU (L) in the A layer, and 166.1 ± 17.2 AU (R), 161.7 ± 20.9 AU (L) in the A1 layer. The staining intensity was significantly increased only in the A layer projected from right eye compared with normal LGN. (p < 0.05)
Conclusions:
The neuronal damage and glial cells’ proliferation and activation were occurred in LGN of ferret OH model.