Retinal Vascular Degeneration in the Transgenic P23H Rat Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa

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Title: Retinal Vascular Degeneration in the Transgenic P23H Rat Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa
Authors: Fernández-Sánchez, Laura | Esquiva, Gema | Pinilla Lozano, Isabel | Lax, Pedro | Cuenca, Nicolás
Research Group/s: Neurobiología del Sistema Visual y Terapia de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (NEUROVIS)
Center, Department or Service: Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Óptica, Farmacología y Anatomía | Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología
Keywords: Vascular retinal network | Retinal degeneration | Retinitis pigmentosa | Confocal microscopy | Camera lucida | NADPH diaphorase
Knowledge Area: Farmacología | Fisiología | Biología Celular
Issue Date: 29-Jun-2018
Publisher: Frontiers Media
Citation: Fernández-Sánchez L, Esquiva G, Pinilla I, Lax P and Cuenca N (2018) Retinal Vascular Degeneration in the Transgenic P23H Rat Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa. Front. Neuroanat. 12:55. doi: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00055
Abstract: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited retinal degenerative diseases involving a progressive degeneration of photoreceptor cells. Following the loss of photoreceptors, retinal vascularization tends to decrease, which seems to play a role in the degenerative process of retinal cells. This study reports changes in retinal vascular network architecture in the P23H rat model of RP at different stages of retinal degeneration. Homozygous P23H line-3 rats of ages ranging from 18 days to 16 months were used in this study. Age-matched Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used as control animals. Vertical sections and wholemount retinas were immunolabeled for type IV collagen or stained using NADPH diaphorase histochemistry, and retinal vascular networks were drawn using a camera lucida. The superficial and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were fully developed at P18 in P23H rat retinas and showed no differences from the control animals. In 4-month-old P23H rat retinas, the superficial and intermediate capillary plexus were similar to those observed in age-matched SD rats, but a reduction in the DCP could be observed in these animals, with a significant decrease in both capillary density and capillary loops. At 16 months, the DCP was completely lost, and only vessels exhibiting an abnormal, tortuous dead-end could be observed. The middle capillary plexus had virtually disappeared at this age. Only perpendicular vessels connecting the superficial and DCP were found. The superficial plexus showed no changes in the vascular surface with age. In RP, photoreceptor loss is accompanied by degenerative changes in the retinal vascular network. The disruption of the capillary plexus, with loss of capillary density and capillary loops, can hamper the normal supply of oxygen and nutrients to retinal cells, thus accelerating retinal degeneration. Therefore, changes in retinal vascularization must be taken into account in the design of therapies targeting retinal degenerative diseases.
Sponsor: This work was supported by The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO-FEDER BFU2015-67139-R), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RETICS-FEDER RD16/0008/0016) and Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2016/158).
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/76969
ISSN: 1662-5129
DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00055
Language: eng
Type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Rights: © 2018 Fernández-Sánchez, Esquiva, Pinilla, Lax and Cuenca. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Peer Review: si
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnana.2018.00055
Appears in Collections:INV - NEUROVIS - Artículos de Revistas

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