Abstract
Purpose :
Cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF), a novel evolutionarily conserved protein with neurotrophic capabilities, is the second member of the MANF/CDNF neurotrophic factor family. Human CDNF shows 59% amino acid identity with human MANF (mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor). We have previously shown a significant protection of photoreceptors by MANF. In this study, we examined the effect of CDNF on photoreceptors in a retinal degeneration rat model.
Methods :
Recombinant human CDNF was expressed in E. coli and purified. At PD9, the right eyes of the S334ter rats were injected with recombinant human CDNF (4.5 mg in 3 ml of PBS). The left eyes were injected with PBS (3 ml PBS) and served as controls. Eyes were collected and fixed at PD21. Plastic sections were cut through the eyes were sectioned at 1 mm along the vertical meridian and were examined by light microscopy.
Results :
Intravitreal injection of recombinant human CDNF significantly protected rod photoreceptors from degeneration. The outer nuclear layer (ONL) in control eyes had only one row of photoreceptors. In contrast, the CDNF-treated retinas had 3 to 4 rows of photoreceptor nuclei in the ONL. Quantitative results show that the thickness ONL in the CDNF treated retinas (16.61±2.87 µm, n=6) is significantly greater (P < 0.001, Student t test) than in PBS-treated control retinas (7.44±3.43µm, n=6).
Conclusions :
Like MANF, intravitreal injection of recombinant human CDNF protein significantly protected rod from degeneration in S334ter rats.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.