June 2015
Volume 56, Issue 7
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2015
Voluntary Exercise is Neuroprotective in an Inherited Retinal Degeneration Mouse Model
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Adam Hanif
    Rehab R&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA
  • Eric Lawson
    Rehab R&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA
  • Megan Prunty
    Rehab R&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA
    Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
  • Marissa Gogniat
    Rehab R&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA
  • Moe Hein Aung
    Rehab R&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA
    Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
  • Ranjay Chakraborty
    Rehab R&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA
    Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
  • Micah A Chrenek
    Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
  • Jeffrey H Boatright
    Rehab R&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA
    Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
  • Machelle T Pardue
    Rehab R&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA
    Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships Adam Hanif, None; Eric Lawson, None; Megan Prunty, None; Marissa Gogniat, None; Moe Aung, None; Ranjay Chakraborty, None; Micah Chrenek, None; Jeffrey Boatright, None; Machelle Pardue, None
  • Footnotes
    Support None
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2015, Vol.56, 4360. doi:
  • Views
  • Share
  • Tools
    • Alerts
      ×
      This feature is available to authenticated users only.
      Sign In or Create an Account ×
    • Get Citation

      Adam Hanif, Eric Lawson, Megan Prunty, Marissa Gogniat, Moe Hein Aung, Ranjay Chakraborty, Micah A Chrenek, Jeffrey H Boatright, Machelle T Pardue; Voluntary Exercise is Neuroprotective in an Inherited Retinal Degeneration Mouse Model. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2015;56(7 ):4360.

      Download citation file:


      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

      ×
  • Supplements
Abstract

Purpose: Our previous investigations demonstrated that forced exercise provides BDNF-mediated neuroprotection in a light damage model of retinal injury (Lawson et al., J Neurosci 2014). In this study, we hypothesized that voluntary running wheel exercise would preserve retinal structure and function through this same BDNF pathway in the rd10 model of retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

Methods: Breeding pairs were given either free-spinning (Active, n=20) or locked (Inactive, n=22) wheels. Pups were weaned into separate cages with their respective wheel types and tested for visual acuity via a virtual optokinetic system at 4, 5, and 6 weeks of age. Mice were sacrificed at 6 weeks of age, and retinal cross sections were prepared for photoreceptor counting. Additionally, separate cohorts of Active and Inactive groups were injected daily with either a BDNF TrkB receptor antagonist (ANA-12), or vehicle solution (Active + ANA-12, n=10; Active + Vehicle, n=6; Inactive + ANA-12, n=4; Inactive + Vehicle, n=5), and assessed as described above.

Results: Active mice exhibited significantly greater preservation of visual acuity thresholds at every time point (At 6 wks; Active: 0.168 ± 0.010 c/d, Inactive: 0.084 ± 0.013 c/d; p<0.001). Additionally, mean photoreceptor counts of Active mice were significantly higher than those of Inactive mice (Active: 161.1 ± 15.6; Inactive: 81.4 ± 15.5; p<0.001). ANA-12 injections of Active mice precluded the higher visual acuity and resulted in thresholds similar to Inactive mice (At 6 wks; Active + ANA-12: 0.148 ± 0.062 c/d, Active + Vehicle: 0.248 ± 0.051 c/d, Inactive + ANA-12: 0.104 ± 0.011 c/d; Inactive + Vehicle: 0.100 ± 0.030 c/d; p<0.001). Visual acuity thresholds of Inactive mice injected daily with either ANA-12 or vehicle were statistically indistinguishable. Similarly, ANA-12 blocked exercise's protection of photoreceptor counts (Active + ANA-12: 112.39 ± 8.08, Active + Vehicle: 136.44 ± 9.95, Inactive + ANA-12: 104.08 ± 17.54; Inactive + Vehicle: 100.89 ± 9.35; p=0.01).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that voluntary exercise preserves visual acuity and retinal structure in inherited retinal degeneration, advancing our findings from forced exercise in an acute model. Activated TrkB signal transduction is requisite for this protective effect. Exercise may serve as an effective, clinically translational intervention against retinal degeneration.

×
×

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

Sign in or purchase a subscription to access this content. ×

You must be signed into an individual account to use this feature.

×