Treadmill exercise promotes retinal astrocyte plasticity and protects against retinal degeneration in a mouse model of light-induced retinal degeneration.

Exercise is an effective neuroprotective intervention that preserves retinal function and structure in several animal models of retinal degeneration. However, the retinal cell types governing exercise-induced neuroprotection remain elusive. Previously, we found exercise-induced retinal neuroprotection was associated with increased levels of retinal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and required intact signal transduction with its high-affinity receptor, tropomyosin kinase B (TrkB). Brain studies have shown astrocytes express BDNF and TrkB and that decreased BDNF-TrkB signaling in astrocytes contributes to neurodegeneration. Additionally, exercise has been shown to alter astrocyte morphology. Using a light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD) model, we investigated how exercise influences retinal astrocytes in adult male BALB/c mice. Treadmill exercise in dim control and LIRD groups had increased astrocyte density, GFAP labeling, branching, dendritic endpoints, and arborization. Meanwhile, inactive LIRD animals had significant reductions in all measured parameters. Additionally, exercised groups had increased astrocytic BDNF expression that was visualized using proximity ligase assay. Isolated retinal astrocytes from exercised LIRD groups had significantly increased expression of a specific isoform of TrkB associated with cell survival, TrkB.FL. Conversely, inactive LIRD isolated retinal astrocytes had significantly increased expression of TrkB.T1, which has been implicated in neuronal cell death. Our data indicate exercise not only alters retinal astrocyte morphology but also promotes specific BDNF-TrkB signaling associated with cell survival and protection during retinal degeneration. These findings provide novel insights into the effects of treadmill exercise on retinal astrocyte morphology and cellular expression, highlighting retinal astrocytes as a potential cell type involved in BDNF-TrkB signaling.

Review: The bile acids urso- and tauroursodeoxycholic acid as neuroprotective therapies in retinal disease.

Bile acids are produced in the liver and excreted into the intestine, where their main function is to participate in lipid digestion. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) have shown antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects in various models of neurodegenerative diseases. However, little is known about signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms through which these bile acids act as neuroprotectors, delaying translation to the clinical setting. We review evidence supporting a potentially therapeutic role for bile acids in retinal disorders, and the mechanisms and pathways involved in the cytoprotective effects of bile acids from the liver and the enterohepatic circulation to the central nervous system and the retina. As secondary bile acids are generated by the microbiota metabolism, bile acids might be a link between neurodegenerative retinal diseases and microbiota.

Wheel running exercise protects against retinal degeneration in the I307N rhodopsin mouse model of inducible autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.

Purpose: We previously reported that modest running exercise protects photoreceptors in mice undergoing light-induced retinal degeneration and in the rd10 mouse model of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP). We hypothesized that exercise would protect against other types of retinal degeneration, specifically, in autosomal dominant inherited disease. We tested whether voluntary running wheel exercise is protective in a retinal degeneration mouse model of class B1 autosomal dominant RP (adRP). Methods: C57BL/6J mice heterozygous for the mutation in I307N rhodopsin (Rho) (also known as RHOTvrm4/+, or Tvrm4) are normal until exposed to brief but bright light, whereupon rod photoreceptor degeneration ensues. I307N Rho mice were given access to free spinning (active) or locked (inactive) running wheels. Five weeks later, half of each cohort was treated with 0.2% atropine eye drops and exposed to white LED light (6,000 lux) for 5 min, then returned to maintenance housing with wheels. At 1 week or 4 weeks after induction, retinal and visual function was assessed with electroretinogram (ERG) and optomotor response (OMR). In vivo retinal morphology was assessed with optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fundus blue autofluorescence assessed using a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. The mice were then euthanized, and the eyes fixed for paraffin sectioning or flatmounting. The paraffin sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) to assess retina morphology and apoptosis. Half of the flatmounts were stained for ZO-1 and α-catenin to assess RPE cell structure and stress. (We previously reported that translocation of α-catenin from cell membranes into the cytosol indicates RPE cell stress.) The remaining flatmounts were stained for ZO-1 and Iba-1 to assess the RPE cell size and shape, and inflammatory responses. Results: In vivo measures revealed that induction of the I307N Rho degeneration decreased retinal and visual function, decreased the thickness of the retina and photoreceptor layers, and increased the number of blue autofluorescence spots at the level of the photoreceptor-RPE interface. Post-mortem analyses showed that induction caused loss of photoreceptors in the central retinal region, and increased TUNEL labeling in the outer nuclear layer (ONL). The RPE was disrupted 1 week after induction, with changes in cell size and shape accompanied by increased α-catenin translocation and Iba-1 staining. These outcomes were partially but statistically significantly prevented in the exercised mice. The exercised mice that underwent induced I307N Rho degeneration exhibited retinal function and visual function measures that were statistically indistinguishable from that of the uninduced mice, and compared to the unexercised induced mice, had thicker retina and photoreceptor layers, and decreased numbers of subretinal autofluorescent spots. Post-mortem, the retina sections from the exercised mice that had undergone induced I307N Rho degeneration exhibited numbers of photoreceptors that were statistically indistinguishable from those of uninduced mice. Similarly, exercise largely precluded a degeneration-induced increase in TUNEL-positive cells in the ONL. Finally, the RPE of the exercised mice appeared normal, with a regular cell shape and size, and little to no alpha-catenin translocation or Iba-1 immunosignal. Conclusions: Voluntary wheel running partially protected against retinal degeneration and inflammation, and RPE disruption in a model of inducible adRP. This is the first report of exercise protection in an adult adRP animal model. It is also the first report of an RPE phenotype in the I307N Rho mouse. These findings add to a growing literature reporting that modest whole-body exercise is protective across a wide range of models of retinal damage and disease, and further highlights the potential for this accessible and inexpensive therapeutic intervention in the ophthalmic clinic.

Initial Assessment of Lactate as Mediator of Exercise-Induced Retinal Protection.

Physical exercise is protective in rodent models of retinal injury and disease. Data suggest that this is in part mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signal transduction. It has been hypothesized that exercised-induced neuroprotection may be mediated by increases in circulating lactate that in turn alter BDNF secretion. We therefore tested whether mice undergoing a treadmill running regimen previously shown to be protective in a mouse model of retinal degeneration (RD) have increased serum levels of lactate. Lactate levels in exercised and non-exercised mice were statistically indistinguishable. A role for circulating lactate in exercise-induced retinal protection is unsupported.

TrkB signalling pathway mediates the protective effects of exercise in the diabetic rat retina.

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of vision loss. Treatment options for early retinopathy are sparse. Exercise protects dying photoreceptors in models of retinal degeneration, thereby preserving vision. We tested the protective effects of exercise on retinal and cognitive deficits in a type 1 diabetes model and determined whether the TrkB pathway mediates this effect. Hyperglycaemia was induced in Long Evans rats via streptozotocin injection (STZ; 100 mg/kg). Following confirmed hyperglycaemia, both control and diabetic rats underwent treadmill exercise for 30 min, 5 days/week at 0 m/min (inactive groups) or 15 m/min (active groups) for 8 weeks. A TrkB receptor antagonist (ANA-12), or vehicle, was injected 2.5 h before exercise training. We measured spatial frequency and contrast sensitivity using optokinetic tracking biweekly post-STZ; retinal function using electroretinography at 4 and 8 weeks; and cognitive function and exploratory behaviour using Y-maze at 8 weeks. Retinal neurotrophin-4 was measured using ELISA. Compared with non-diabetic controls, diabetic rats showed significantly reduced spatial frequency and contrast sensitivity, delayed electroretinogram oscillatory potential and flicker implicit times and reduced cognitive function and exploratory behaviour. Exercise interventions significantly delayed the appearance of all deficits, except for exploratory behaviour. Treatment with ANA-12 significantly reduced this protection, suggesting a TrkB-mediated mechanism. Despite this, no changes in retinal neurotrohin-4 were observed with diabetes or exercise. Exercise protected against early visual and cognitive dysfunction in diabetic rats, suggesting that exercise interventions started after hyperglycaemia diagnosis may be a beneficial treatment. The translational potential is high, given that exercise treatment is non-invasive, patient controlled and inexpensive.

Set screw homogenization of murine ocular tissue, including the whole eye.

Purpose: To compare methods for homogenizing the mouse whole eye or retina for RNA extraction. Methods: We tested five homogenization techniques for the whole eye and the retina. Two established shearing techniques were a version of the Potter-Elvehjem homogenizer, which uses a plastic pellet pestle in a microfuge tube, and a Dounce homogenizer. Two modern bead-beating methods used commercially manufactured devices, the Next Advance Bullet Blender and the Qiagen TissueLyser LT. The last method involved vortex mixing multiple samples simultaneously in a buffer containing a stainless-steel set screw, a novel approach. RNA was extracted from the tissue after each technique was used. Degradation of RNA was measured with the RNA integrity number (RIN score) after electrophoresis on an Agilent BioAnalyzer RNA LabChip. Nucleic acid yields were measured with ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy in a BioTek Synergy H1 Hybrid plate reader. The purity of the nucleic acids was assessed with the mean absorbance ratio (A260/A280). The preparation time per sample was measured with a digital stopwatch. Costs of necessary consumables were calculated per ten samples. Results: The RIN scores for all homogenization methods and both tissue types ranged from 7.75±0.64 to 8.78±0.18; none were statistically significantly different. The total RNA yield per whole eye from the bead-based methods ranged from 7,700 to 9,800 ng and from 3,000 to 4,600 ng for the pellet pestle and Dounce shearing methods, respectively. The total RNA yield per retina from the bead-based methods ranged from 4,600 to 8,400 ng and from 2,200 to 7,400 ng for the pellet pestle and Dounce shearing methods, respectively. Homogenization was faster using the bead-based methods (about 15 min for ten samples) because multiple samples could be run simultaneously compared to the shearing methods that require samples be homogenized individually (about 45-60 min per ten samples). The costs in consumables for the methods tested ranged from $2.60 to $14.70 per ten samples. The major differences in overall costs come in the form of one-time equipment purchases, which can range from one hundred to thousands of dollars. The bead-based methods required less technician involvement and had less potential for sample contamination than the shearing methods. Conclusions: The purity and quality of RNA were similar across all methods for both tissue types. The novel set screw method and the two bead-based methods (bullet blender and TissueLyser) outperformed the two shearing methods (the pellet pestle and Dounce techniques) in total RNA yields for the whole eye. Although the bullet blender, TissueLyser, and set screw methods produced comparable levels of RNA yield, purity, and quality, the set screw method was less expensive. Researchers seeking the efficiency of sophisticated bead homogenization equipment without the high equipment costs might consider this novel method.

Differential Exon Expression in a Large Family of Retinal Genes Is Regulated by a Single Trans Locus.

Transcription and RNA processing can generate many variant mRNAs (isoforms) from a given genomic locus. The more we learn about RNA processing the more we realize how complex it can be. Examining the expression profiles of individual exons, we observed that specific exons were differentially expressed across a large number of genes in mice. We found that each isoform or exon is independently expressed compared to other exons from the same gene and regulated separately in trans. Each trans locus was identified by mapping using linkage analysis in a large mouse recombinant inbred strain set. We present evidence for a limited number of these master regulatory loci in the retina. One major locus controls about half the expression of the individual exons and resides on Chromosome 4, between 133 and 136 Mb.

Analysis of RPE morphometry in human eyes.

PURPOSE: To describe the RPE morphometry of healthy human eyes regarding age and topographic location using modern computational methods with high accuracy and objectivity. We tested whether there were regional and age-related differences in RPE cell area and shape. METHODS: Human cadaver donor eyes of varying ages were dissected, and the RPE flatmounts were immunostained for F-actin with AF635-phalloidin, nuclei stained with propidium iodide, and imaged with confocal microscopy. Image analysis was performed using ImageJ (NIH) and CellProfiler software. Quantitative parameters, including cell density, cell area, polygonality of cells, number of neighboring cells, and measures of cell shape, were obtained from these analyses to characterize individual and groups of RPE cells. Measurements were taken from selected areas spanning the length of the temporal retina through the macula and the mid-periphery to the far periphery. RESULTS: Nineteen eyes from 14 Caucasian donors of varying ages ranging from 29 to 80 years were used. Along a horizontal nasal to temporal meridian, there were differences in several cell shape and size characteristics. Generally, the cell area and shape was relatively constant and regular except in the far periphery. In the outer third of the retina, the cell area and shape differed from the inner two-thirds statistically significantly. In the macula and the far periphery, an overall decreasing trend in RPE cell density, percent hexagonal cells, and form factor was observed with increasing age. We also found a trend toward increasing cell area and eccentricity with age in the macula and the far periphery. When individuals were divided into two age groups, <60 years and ≥60 years, there was a higher cell density, lower cell area, lower eccentricity, and higher form factor in the younger group in the macula and the far periphery (p<0.05 for all measurements). No statistically significant differences in RPE morphometry between age groups were found in the mid-periphery. CONCLUSIONS: Human cadaver RPE cells differ mainly in area and shape in the outer one third compared to the inner two-thirds of the temporal retina. RPE cells become less dense and larger, lose their typical hexagonal shape, and become more oval with increasing age.

IRBP deficiency permits precocious ocular development and myopia.

PURPOSE: Interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) is abundant in the subretinal space and binds retinoids and lipophilic molecules. The expression of IRBP begins precociously early in mouse eye development. IRBP-deficient (KO) mice show less cell death in the inner retinal layers of the retina before eyelid opening compared to wild-type C57BL/6J (WT) controls and eventually develop profound myopia. Thus, IRBP may play a role in eye development before visually-driven phenomena. We report comparative observations during the course of the natural development of eyes in WT and congenic IRBP KO mice that suggest IRBP is necessary at the early stages of mouse eye development for correct function and development to exist in later stages. METHODS: We observed the natural development of congenic WT and IRBP KO mice, monitoring several markers of eye size and development, including haze and clarity of optical components in the eye, eye size, axial length, immunohistological markers of differentiation and eye development, visually guided behavior, and levels of a putative eye growth stop signal, dopamine. We conducted these measurements at several ages. Slit-lamp examinations were conducted at post-natal day (P)21. Fundus and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images were compared at P15, P30, P45, and P80. Enucleated eyes from P5 to P10 were measured for weight, and ocular dimensions were measured with a noncontact light-emitting diode (LED) micrometer. We counted the cells that expressed tyrosine hydroxylase (TH-positive cells) at P23-P36 using immunohistochemistry on retinal flatmounts. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze the amounts of dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) at P7-P60. Monocular form deprivation in the right eye was induced using head-mounted goggles from P28 to P56. RESULTS: Eye elongation and eye size in the IRBP KO mice began to increase at P7 compared to the WT mice. This difference increased until P12, and the difference was maintained thereafter. SD-OCT images in live mice confirmed previously reported retinal thinning of the outer nuclear layer in the IRBP KO mice compared to the WT mice from P15 to P80. Slit-lamp and fundoscopy examination outcomes did not differ between the WT and KO mice. SD-OCT measurements of the optical axis components showed that the only factor contributing to excess optical axis length was the depth of the vitreous body. No other component of optical axis length (including corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, and lens thickness) was different from that of the WT mouse. The refractive power of the IRBP KO mice did not change in response to form deprivation. The number of retinal TH-positive cells was 28% greater in the IRBP KO retinas compared to the WT mice at P30. No significant differences were observed in the steady-state retinal DA or DOPAC levels or in the DOPAC/DA ratios between the WT and IRBP KO mice. CONCLUSIONS: The IRBP KO mouse eye underwent precocious development and rapid eye size growth temporally about a day sooner than the WT mouse eye. Eye size began to differ between the WT and KO mice before eyelid opening, indicating no requirement for focus-dependent vision, and suggesting a developmental abnormality in the IRBP KO mouse eye that precedes form vision-dependent emmetropization. Additionally, the profoundly myopic KO eye did not respond to form deprivation compared to the non-deprived contralateral eye. Too much growth occurred in some parts of the eye, possibly upsetting a balance among size, differentiation, and focus-dependent growth suppression. Thus, the loss of IRBP may simply cause growth that is too rapid, possibly due to a lack of sequestration or buffering of morphogens that normally would bind to IRBP but are unbound in the IRBP KO eye. Despite the development of profound myopia, the DA levels in the IRBP KO mice were not statistically different from those in the WT mice, even with the excess of TH-positive cells in the IRBP KO mice compared to the WT mice. Overall, these data suggest that abnormal eye elongation in the IRBP KO mouse is independent of, precedes, and is epistatic to the process(es) of visually-driven refractive development.

Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid Protects Retinal Function and Structure in rd1 Mice.

We explored the potential protective effects of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) on cone photoreceptor survival in a model of rapid retinal degeneration, the ß-Pde6 (rd1) (rd1) mouse model. We injected two strains of rd1 mice (B6.C3-Pde6b (rd1) Hps4(le)/J and C57BL/6J-Pde6b (rd1-2)/J mice) daily from postnatal day (P) 6 to P21 with TUDCA or vehicle. At P21, retinal function was evaluated with light-adapted electroretinography (ERG) and retinal structure was observed with plastic or frozen sections. TUDCA treatment partially preserved function and structure in B6.C3-Pde6b (rd1) Hps4(le)/J mice but only partially preserved structure in C57BL/6J-Pde6b (rd1-2)/J mice. Our results suggest a possible intervention for patients undergoing rapid retinal degeneration.

RPE Cell and Sheet Properties in Normal and Diseased Eyes.

Previous studies of human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) morphology found spatial differences in density: a high density of cells in the macula, decreasing peripherally. Because the RPE sheet is not perfectly regular, we anticipate that there will be differences between conditions and when and where damage is most likely to begin. The purpose of this study is to establish relationships among RPE morphometrics in age, cell location, and disease of normal human and AMD eyes that highlight irregularities reflecting damage. Cadaveric eyes from 11 normal and 3 age-related macular degeneration (AMD) human donors ranging from 29 to 82 years of age were used. Borders of RPE cells were identified with phalloidin. RPE segmentation and analysis were conducted with CellProfiler. Exploration of spatial point patterns was conducted using the "spatstat" package of R. In the normal human eye, with increasing age, cell size increased, and cells lost their regular hexagonal shape. Cell density was higher in the macula versus periphery. AMD resulted in greater variability in size and shape of the RPE cell. Spatial point analysis revealed an ordered distribution of cells in normal and high spatial disorder in AMD eyes. Morphometrics of the RPE cell readily discriminate among young vs. old and normal vs. diseased in the human eye. The normal RPE sheet is organized in a regular array of cells, but AMD exhibited strong spatial irregularity. These findings reflect on the robust recovery of the RPE sheet after wounding and the circumstances under which it cannot recover.

Exercise and Cyclic Light Preconditioning Protect Against Light-Induced Retinal Degeneration and Evoke Similar Gene Expression Patterns.

To compare patterns of gene expression following preconditioning cyclic light rearing versus preconditioning aerobic exercise. BALB/C mice were preconditioned either by rearing in 800 lx 12:12 h cyclic light for 8 days or by running on treadmills for 9 days, exposed to toxic levels of light to cause light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD), then sacrificed and retinal tissue harvested. Subsets of mice were maintained for an additional 2 weeks and for assessment of retinal function by electroretinogram (ERG). Both preconditioning protocols partially but significantly preserved retinal function and morphology and induced similar leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) gene expression pattern. The data demonstrate that exercise preconditioning and cyclic light preconditioning protect photoreceptors against LIRD and evoke a similar pattern of retinal LIF gene expression. It may be that similar stress response pathways mediate the protection provided by the two preconditioning modalities.

Aerobic exercise protects retinal function and structure from light-induced retinal degeneration.

Aerobic exercise is a common intervention for rehabilitation of motor, and more recently, cognitive function (Intlekofer and Cotman, 2013; Wood et al., 2012). While the underlying mechanisms are complex, BDNF may mediate much of the beneficial effects of exercise to these neurons (Ploughman et al., 2007; Griffin et al., 2011; Real et al., 2013). We studied the effects of aerobic exercise on retinal neurons undergoing degeneration. We exercised wild-type BALB/c mice on a treadmill (10 m/min for 1 h) for 5 d/week or placed control mice on static treadmills. After 2 weeks of exercise, mice were exposed to either toxic bright light (10,000 lux) for 4 h to induce photoreceptor degeneration or maintenance dim light (25 lux). Bright light caused 75% loss of both retinal function and photoreceptor numbers. However, exercised mice exposed to bright light had 2 times greater retinal function and photoreceptor nuclei than inactive mice exposed to bright light. In addition, exercise increased retinal BDNF protein levels by 20% compared with inactive mice. Systemic injections of a BDNF tropomyosin-receptor-kinase (TrkB) receptor antagonist reduced retinal function and photoreceptor nuclei counts in exercised mice to inactive levels, effectively blocking the protective effects seen with aerobic exercise. The data suggest that aerobic exercise is neuroprotective for retinal degeneration and that this effect is mediated by BDNF signaling.

Methodologies for analysis of patterning in the mouse RPE sheet.

PURPOSE: Our goal was to optimize procedures for assessing shapes, sizes, and other quantitative metrics of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and contact- and noncontact-mediated cell-to-cell interactions across a large series of flatmount RPE images. METHODS: The two principal methodological advances of this study were optimization of a mouse RPE flatmount preparation and refinement of open-access software to rapidly analyze large numbers of flatmount images. Mouse eyes were harvested, and extra-orbital fat and muscles were removed. Eyes were fixed for 10 min, and dissected by puncturing the cornea with a sharp needle or a stab knife. Four radial cuts were made with iridectomy scissors from the puncture to near the optic nerve head. The lens, iris, and the neural retina were removed, leaving the RPE sheet exposed. The dissection and outcomes were monitored and evaluated by video recording. The RPE sheet was imaged under fluorescence confocal microscopy after staining for ZO-1 to identify RPE cell boundaries. Photoshop, Java, Perl, and Matlab scripts, as well as CellProfiler, were used to quantify selected parameters. Data were exported into Excel spreadsheets for further analysis. RESULTS: A simplified dissection procedure afforded a consistent source of images that could be processed by computer. The dissection and flatmounting techniques were illustrated in a video recording. Almost all of the sheet could be routinely imaged, and substantial fractions of the RPE sheet (usually 20-50% of the sheet) could be analyzed. Several common technical problems were noted and workarounds developed. The software-based analysis merged 25 to 36 images into one and adjusted settings to record an image suitable for large-scale identification of cell-to-cell boundaries, and then obtained quantitative descriptors of the shape of each cell, its neighbors, and interactions beyond direct cell-cell contact in the sheet. To validate the software, human- and computer-analyzed results were compared. Whether tallied manually or automatically with software, the resulting cell measurements were in close agreement. We compared normal with diseased RPE cells during aging with quantitative cell size and shape metrics. Subtle differences between the RPE sheet characteristics of young and old mice were identified. The IRBP(-/-) mouse RPE sheet did not differ from C57BL/6J (wild type, WT), suggesting that IRBP does not play a direct role in maintaining the health of the RPE cell, while the slow loss of photoreceptor (PhR) cells previously established in this knockout does support a role in the maintenance of PhR cells. Rd8 mice exhibited several measurable changes in patterns of RPE cells compared to WT, suggesting a slow degeneration of the RPE sheet that had not been previously noticed in rd8. CONCLUSIONS: An optimized dissection method and a series of programs were used to establish a rapid and hands-off analysis. The software-aided, high-sampling-size approach performed as well as trained human scorers, but was considerably faster and easier. This method allows tens to hundreds of thousands of cells to be analyzed, each with 23 metrics. With this combination of dissection and image analysis of the RPE sheet, we can now analyze cell-to-cell interactions of immediate neighbors. In the future, we may be able to observe interactions of second, third, or higher ring neighbors and analyze tension in sheets, which might be expected to deviate from normal near large bumps in the RPE sheet caused by druse or when large frank holes in the RPE sheet are observed in geographic atrophy. This method and software can be readily applied to other aspects of vision science, neuroscience, and epithelial biology where patterns may exist in a sheet or surface of cells.

Gram-scale, chemoselective synthesis of N-[2-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-2-oxopiperidine-3-carboxamide (HIOC).

N-[2-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-2-oxopiperidine-3-carboxamide (HIOC) is a potent activator of the TrkB receptor in mammalian neurons and of interest because of its potential therapeutic uses. In the absence of a commercial supply of HIOC, we sought to produce several grams of material. However, a synthesis of HIOC has never been published. Herein we report the preparation of HIOC by the chemoselective N-acylation of serotonin, without using blocking groups in the key acylation step.

N-acetylserotonin: circadian activation of the BDNF receptor and neuroprotection in the retina and brain.

TrkB is the cognate receptor for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin family involved in neuronal survival, neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity. BDNF has been shown to protect photoreceptors from light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD) and to improve ganglion cell survival following optic nerve damage. However, the utility of BDNF as a retinal neuroprotectant is limited by its short half-life, inability to cross the blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers, and activation of the proapoptotic p75 neurotrophin receptor. N-Acetylserotonin (NAS) is a naturally occurring chemical intermediate in the melatonin biosynthetic pathway in the pineal gland and retina. Its synthesis occurs in a circadian fashion with high levels at night and is suppressed by light exposure. Until recently, NAS was thought to function primarily as a melatonin precursor with little or no biological function of its own. We have now shown that TrkB activation in the retina and hippocampus is circadian in C3H/f(+/+) mice, which synthesize NAS, but not in C57BL/6 mice, which have a mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme that converts serotonin to NAS. In addition, treatment of mice exogenous NAS, but not with serotonin or melatonin, activates TrkB during the daytime in a BDNF-independent manner. NAS appears to have neuroprotective properties and its administration reduces caspase 3 activation in the brain in response to kainic acid, a neurotoxic glutamate analog. We have developed structural analogs of NAS that activate TrkB. One of these derivatives, N- [2-(-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-2-oxopiperideine-3-carboximide (HIOC), selectively activates TrkB with greater potency than NAS and has a significantly 5-hydroxy-1Hlonger biological half-life than NAS after systemic administration. HIOC administration results in long-lasting activation of TrkB and downstream signaling kinases. The compound can pass the blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers when administered systemically and reduces kainic acid-induced neuronal cell death in a TrkB-dependent manner. Systemic administration of HIOC mitigates LIRD, assessed electrophysiologically and morphometrically. Hence, NAS may function as an endogenous circadian neurotrophin-like compound and HIOC is a good lead compound for further drug development for treatment of retinal degenerative diseases.

Analysis of mouse RPE sheet morphology gives discriminatory categories.

We are interested in developing quantitative tools to study retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) morphology. We want to detect changes in the RPE by strain, disease, genotype, and age. Ultimately these tools should be useful in predicting retinal disease progression. The morphometric data will also help us to understand RPE sheet formation and barrier functions. A clear disruption of the regular cell size and shape appeared in mouse mutants. Aspect ratio and cell area together gave rise to principal components that predicted age and genotype accurately and well before visually obvious damage could be seen.

Conditional Knockouts of Interphotoreceptor Retinoid Binding Protein Suggest Two Independent Mechanisms for Retinal Degeneration and Myopia.

Purpose: Interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein's (IRBP) role in eye growth and its involvement in cell homeostasis remain poorly understood. One hypothesis proposes early conditional deletion of the IRBP gene could lead to a myopic response with retinal degeneration, whereas late conditional deletion (after eye size is determined) could cause retinal degeneration without myopia. Here, we sought to understand if prior myopia was required for subsequent retinal degeneration in the absence of IRBP. This study investigates if any cell type or developmental stage is more important in myopia or retinal degeneration. Methods: IBRPfl/fl mice were bred with 5 Cre-driver lines: HRGP-Cre, Chx10-Cre, Rho-iCre75, HRGP-Cre Rho-iCre75, and Rx-Cre. Mice were analyzed for IRBP gene expression through digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). Young adult (P30) mice were tested for retinal degeneration and morphology using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Function was analyzed using electroretinograms (ERGs). Eye sizes and axial lengths were compared through external eye measurements and whole eye biometry. Results: Across all outcome measures, when bred to IRBPfl/fl, HRGP-Cre and Chx10-Cre lines showed no differences from IRBPfl/fl alone. With the Rho-iCre75 line, small but significant reductions were seen in retinal thickness with SD-OCT imaging and postmortem H&E staining without increased axial length. Both the HRGP-Cre+Rho-iCre75 and the Rx-Cre lines showed significant decreases in retinal thickness and outer nuclear layer cell counts. Using external eye measurements and SD-OCT imaging, both lines showed an increase in eye size. Finally, function in both lines was roughly halved across scotopic, photopic, and flicker ERGs. Conclusions: Our studies support hypotheses that for both eye size determination and retinal homeostasis, there are two critical timing windows when IRBP must be expressed in rods or cones to prevent myopia (P7-P12) and degeneration (P21 and later). The rod-specific IRBP knockout (Rho-iCre75) showed significant retinal functional losses without myopia, indicating that the two phenotypes are independent. IRBP is needed for early development of photoreceptors and eye size, whereas Rho-iCre75 IRBPfl/fl knockout results in retinal degeneration without myopia.

POU6F2, a risk factor for glaucoma, myopia and dyslexia, labels specific populations of retinal ganglion cells.

Pou6f2 is a genetic connection between central corneal thickness (CCT) in the mouse and a risk factor for developing primary open-angle glaucoma. POU6F2 is also a risk factor for several conditions in humans, including glaucoma, myopia, and dyslexia. Recent findings demonstrate that POU6F2-positive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) comprise a number of RGC subtypes in the mouse, some of which also co-stain for Cdh6 and Hoxd10. These POU6F2-positive RGCs appear to be novel of ON-OFF directionally selective ganglion cells (ooDSGCs) that do not co-stain with CART or SATB2 (typical ooDSGCs markers). These POU6F2-positive cells are sensitive to damage caused by elevated intraocular pressure. In the DBA/2J mouse glaucoma model, heavily-labeled POU6F2 RGCs decrease by 73% at 8 months of age compared to only 22% loss of total RGCs (labeled with RBPMS). Additionally, Pou6f2-/- mice suffer a significant loss of acuity and spatial contrast sensitivity along with an 11.4% loss of total RGCs. In the rhesus macaque retina, POU6F2 labels the large parasol ganglion cells that form the magnocellular (M) pathway. The association of POU6F2 with the M-pathway may reveal in part its role in human glaucoma, myopia, and dyslexia.

Voluntary exercise preserves visual function and reduces inflammatory response in an adult mouse model of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.

Whole-body physical exercise has been shown to promote retinal structure and function preservation in animal models of retinal degeneration. It is currently unknown how exercise modulates retinal inflammatory responses. In this study, we investigated cytokine alterations associated with retinal neuroprotection induced by voluntary running wheel exercise in a retinal degeneration mouse model of class B1 autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa, I307N Rho. I307N Rho mice undergo rod photoreceptor degeneration when exposed to bright light (induced). Our data show, active induced mice exhibited significant preservation of retinal and visual function compared to inactive induced mice after 4 weeks of exercise. Retinal cytokine expression revealed significant reductions of proinflammatory chemokines, keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) and interferon gamma inducible protein-10 (IP-10) expression in active groups compared to inactive groups. Through immunofluorescence, we found KC and IP-10 labeling localized to retinal vasculature marker, collagen IV. These data show that whole-body exercise lowers specific retinal cytokine expression associated with retinal vasculature. Future studies should determine whether suppression of inflammatory responses is requisite for exercise-induced retinal protection.