Differential vulnerability of neurochemically identified subpopulations of retinal neurons in a monkey model of glaucoma

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(95)00211-8

Brain Research

Volume 680, Issues 1–2, 22 May 1995, Pages 23-35

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(95)00211-8 Get rights and content

Abstract

The vulnerability of subpopulations of retinal neurons delineated by their content of cytoskeletal or calcium-binding proteins was evaluated in the retinas of cynomolgus monkeys in which glaucoma was produced with an argon laser. We quantitatively compared the number of neurons containing either neurofilament (NF) protein, parvalbumin, calbindin or calretinin immunoreactivity in central and peripheral portions of the nasal and temporal quadrants of the retina from glaucomatous and fellow non-glaucomatous eyes. There was no significant difference between the proportion of amacrine, horizontal and bipolar cells labeled with antibodies to the calcium-binding proteins comparing the two eyes. NF triplet immunoreactivity was present in a subpopulation of retinal ganglion cells, many of which, but not all, likely correspond to large ganglion cells that subserve the magnocellular visual pathway. Loss of NF protein-containing retinal ganglion cells was widespread throughout the central (59–77% loss) and peripheral (96–97%) nasal and temporal quadrants and was associated with the loss of NF-immunoreactive optic nerve fibers in the glaucomatous eyes. Comparison of counts of NF-immunoreactive neurons with total cell loss evaluated by Nissl staining indicated that NF protein-immunoreactive cells represent a large proportion of the cells that degenerate in the glaucomatous eyes, particularly in the peripheral regions of the retina. Such data may be useful in determining the cellular basis for sensitivity to this pathologic process and may also be helpful in the design of diagnostic tests that may be sensitive to the loss of the subset of NF-immunoreactive ganglion cells.

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The question of whether or not specific RGC sub-types are preferentially susceptible to glaucomatous damage is of intense interest, but also controversial. Early work involving quantitative studies of Nissl-stained RGCs in a non-human primate model of glaucoma revealed that the larger cells that give rise to the magnocellular pathway are particularly vulnerable to apoptosis (Glovinsky et al., 1991; Vickers et al., 1995). Similar observations were subsequently made in some, but not all, follow-up studies with primate (Quigley, 1999; Morgan et al., 2000; Morgan, 2002) and human tissue (Quigley et al., 1989; Chaturvedi et al., 1993; Quigley, 1999).
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Differential vulnerability of neurochemically identified subpopulations of retinal neurons in a monkey model of glaucoma

Abstract

Ophthalmology

Neurosci. Lett.

Brain Res.

Neuroscience

Ophthalmology

Am. J. Ophthalmol.

Ophthalmology

Brain Res.

Neuroscience

Brain Res.

Neuroscience

Brain Res.

Binding of Bodian's silver and monoclonal antibodies to defined regions of human neurofilament subunits: Bodian's silver reacts with a highly charged unique domain of neurofilaments

J. Neurochem.

Wide-spreading terminal axons in the inner plexiform layer of the cat's retina: evidence for intrinsic axon collaterals of ganglion cells

J. Comp. Neurol.

Coexistence of neurofilaments and vimentin in a neurone of adult mouse retina

Nature (London)

Antibodies against filamentous components in discrete cell types of the mouse retina

J. Neurosci.

A proposed role for excitatory amino acids in glaucoma visual loss

Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.

Immunocytochemical and biochemical localization of parvalbumin in the retina

Cell Tiss. Res.

Axonal calibre related to neurofilaments and microtubules in sciatic nerve fibres of rats and mice

Anat. Rec.

Axoplasmic flow during chronic experimental glaucoma

Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.

Retinal ganglion cell loss is size dependent in experimental glaucoma

Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.

Foveal ganglion cell loss is size dependent in experimental glaucoma

Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.

Localization of two calcium binding proteins, calbindin (28 kD) and parvalbumin (12 kD), in the vertebrate retina

J. Comp. Neurol.

Expression of glutamate receptor genes in the mammalian retina: the localization of GluR1 through GluR7 mRNAs

J. Neurosci.

The cellular basis of cortical disconnection in Alzheimer disease and related dementing conditions

Neurofilament gene expression: a major determinant of axonal calibre

Differential expression of glutamate receptor genes (GluR1-5) in the rat retina

Vis. Neurosci.

Intermediate filaments in the human retina and retinoblastoma

Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.

Soma neurofilament immunoreactivity is related to cell size and fibre conduction velocity in rat primary sensory neurons

J. Physiol. (London)