Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is now well known as one of the cytokines which is necessary for intercellular transformation of information. Also in the field of ophthalmology, it is getting to be revealed the relationships of TGF-beta to the development of ocular tissue, and some kind of eye diseases, such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy, caused from retinal detachment or diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. There are some previous reports which prove that the amount of TGF-beta in the anterior chamber of the glaucoma patients is higher than the normal eyes. TGF-beta also has a function to promote the production of extracellular matrix. And it is also reported that the relationship between congenital glaucoma and deposition of extracellular matrix at outflow pathway. Methods: We examined the expression of TGF-beta in the iris, ciliary body and trabecular meshwork in the rat eyes by immunohistochemical studies. We enucleated rat eyes on 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 21 days after birth, and stained with polyclonal antibodies against TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 by avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. We appraise the samples by light microscopic study. Results: The staining both of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta 2 is strong on the day 5th , 6th and 10th. They were not stained on the day 1st, 2nd, and after 12th. These tissues are stained with TGF-beta 2 stronger than TGF-beta 1, and the expression with iris is weak compared to other tissues. Conclusion: We found that expression of TGF-beta occurs at certain period on the way of development of the ocular tissue. We suggest that there are some association between the expression of TGF-beta and development of the eye, expression of extracellular matrix, and, the cause of congenital glaucoma.
Keywords: 403 extracellular matrix • 601 trabecular meshwork • 348 ciliary body