Identification of the Genes Associated with Retinal Neovascularization in Oxygen–Induced Retinopathy

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To investigate differential gene expression of retinal neovascularization in oxygen–induced retinopathy. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were kept in 80% oxygen from post natal day 7(P7) to P12 and returned to the room air. Control mice were kept in room air. Fluorescein Lectin staining was performed to determine the day. Eyes were enucleated and retinas were separated into central and peripheral retinas and collected from mice both at P12, immediately after return from hyperoxia to normoxia, and at P15. Total RNA was prepared from 5 retinas from each group of mice at each time point. cRNA was prepaieed, labeled and hybridized to mouse Affymetrix microarray chips. Results: Lectin staining showed that central retina was almost nonperfused area and peripheral retina was perfused. Retinal neovascularization was occurred at the border areas between the perfused and nonperfused retina. The Affymetrix mouse chip contains approximately 12.000 full–length mouse cDNA and expressed sequence tags (ESTs). 498 and 488 genes and ESTs in model mice of oxygen–induced retinopathy were up–regulated (over 2–fold) in central and peripheral retina, respectively, compared to the control mice and 185 and 134 genes and ESTs were down–regulated (less 0.5–fold). Among the differentially expressed genes, growth factors, transcriptional factors, cell cycle regulators and extracellular matrix proteins were included. Conclusions: We identified the genes that showed significant changes in expression both P12 and P15 in oxygen–induced retinopathy. The different gene expression profiles provide insight into the process of retinal neovascularization.

Keywords: gene microarray • hypoxia • retinal neovascularization