IOVS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Originally published In Press as doi:10.1167/iovs.08-2244 on November 7, 2008
 (Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2009;50:1416-1422.)
© 2009 by The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.
doi:10.1167/iovs.08-2244
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
iovs.08-2244v1
50/3/1416    most recent
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (1)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Arango-González, B.
Right arrow Articles by Kohler, K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Arango-González, B.
Right arrow Articles by Kohler, K.

Exogenous Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Reverts Phenotypic Changes in the Retinas of Transgenic Mice Lacking the bdnf Gene

Blanca Arango-González,1,2 Alessandro Cellerino,2,3 and Konrad Kohler1

1From the Division of Experimental Ophthalmology, Centre for Ophthalmology, Tübingen, Germany; and the 3Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neurofisiologia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy.

PURPOSE. The authors investigated the effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) administration on the expression of Ca2+-binding proteins in the developing bdnf–/– mouse retina.

METHODS. Intraocular injections of BDNF (0.5 µg) were applied on postnatal day (P) 11 bdnf–/– mice, and their effects were evaluated on P14. Neurons expressing Ca2+-binding protein were studied by immunohistochemistry for PKC-{alpha}, recoverin, calbindin-D28K, calretinin, and parvalbumin.

RESULTS. Cell density and immunostaining intensity for Ca2+-binding proteins in horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, and ganglion cells were lower in the retinas of bdnf–/– mice than of wild-type mice. Mutant retinas treated with BDNF showed a 35% to 40% increase in the number of calbindin-positive horizontal and amacrine cells. Increases of 30% and 50%, respectively, were also observed for calretinin- and parvalbumin-positive cells in the inner nuclear layer after BDNF treatment. The retinas of bdnf–/– mice showed recoverin expression only in scattered bipolar cells; however, recoverin-positive bipolar cells were readily detectable after BDNF injection in mutants (80% increase). The number of parvalbumin-positive ganglion cells after BDNF treatment reached 100% of control values. Expression of calretinin and calbindin was also upregulated in the ganglion cell layers of BDNF-treated mutants.

CONCLUSIONS. The expression of Ca2+-binding proteins is reduced in the mutant retina. This neurochemical phenotype can be reverted, at least partially, by providing exogenous BDNF during the second week of postnatal development.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2009 by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology