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(Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2008;49:2025-2029.)
© 2008 by The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.
DOI:  10.1167/iovs.07-0871
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Mapping of the Neonatal Fc Receptor in the Rodent Eye

Hyuncheol Kim,1 Robert N. Fariss,2 Connie Zhang,3 Shaun B. Robinson,1 Michelle Thill,3 and Karl G. Csaky1

1From the Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; the 2Biological Imaging Core, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; and the 3Laboratory of Retinal Diseases and Therapeutics, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

PURPOSE. The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) has been known to modulate IgG transport and protect against IgG catabolism, resulting in extension of the serum half-life of IgG. The goal of this study was to localize FcRn receptor expression in the rat’s eye.

METHODS. The cornea, retina, conjunctiva, ciliary body and iris, retinal pigment epithelium and choroid, and lens were dissected from each rat’s eye, and total RNA was purified. The first-strand cDNAs were synthesized and subjected to PCR reaction. For control samples, reverse transcriptase was omitted. A monoclonal antibody against the FcRn heavy chain was used to localize the distribution of the FcRn receptor in ocular tissues. Lymphatic vessels and blood vessels were stained with a rabbit anti-mouse lymphatic vessel endothelial receptor-1 polyclonal antibody and a rabbit anti-human von Willebrand factor polyclonal antibody, respectively.

RESULTS. RT-PCR demonstrated expression of FcRn RNA in cornea, retina, conjunctiva, ciliary body and iris, and lens but absence of expression in the retinal pigment epithelium and choroid. Immunohistochemistry and double staining confirmed the expression of FcRn receptor to the conjunctival lymphatic vessels but not in the conjunctival blood vessels. In the ciliary body, the FcRn receptor was found to be expressed in both the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium and the ciliary blood vessels. The expression of FcRn receptor was confirmed in the retinal blood vessels, iris blood vessels, optic nerve vascular structures, corneal epithelium and endothelium, and lens epithelium.

CONCLUSIONS. The FcRn receptor is expressed in multiple ocular tissues. The blood-ocular barrier showed FcRn receptor expression, indicating that IgG transport from ocular tissues to the blood system may use this receptor. The role of the FcRn receptor in the anterior segment and the conjunctiva remains unclear.






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