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Retinal Glial (Müller) Cells : Sensing and responding to tissue stretch

Lindqvist, Niclas LU ; Liu, Qing ; Zajadacz, Joachim ; Franze, Kristian and Reichenbach, Andreas (2010) In Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 51(3). p.1683-1690
Abstract

Purpose. To test whether Müller glial cells sense, and respond to, mechanical tension in the retina. Methods. A device was designed to stretch the retina at right angles to its surface, across retinal layers. Pieces of retina were mounted between two hollow tubes, and uniaxial force was applied to the tissue using a micrometer-stepping motor. Müller cells were selectively stained with the fluorescent, calciumsensitive dye X-Rhod-1 and were monitored in real time during retinal stretch in vitro. Immunohistochemistry was used to study protein levels and activation of intracellular pathways in stretched retinas. Results. Müller cells responded acutely with transient increases in fluorescence during stretch, indicative of increased... (More)

Purpose. To test whether Müller glial cells sense, and respond to, mechanical tension in the retina. Methods. A device was designed to stretch the retina at right angles to its surface, across retinal layers. Pieces of retina were mounted between two hollow tubes, and uniaxial force was applied to the tissue using a micrometer-stepping motor. Müller cells were selectively stained with the fluorescent, calciumsensitive dye X-Rhod-1 and were monitored in real time during retinal stretch in vitro. Immunohistochemistry was used to study protein levels and activation of intracellular pathways in stretched retinas. Results. Müller cells responded acutely with transient increases in fluorescence during stretch, indicative of increased intracellular calcium levels. All the Müller cells elongated uniformly, and there was no apparent difference between retinal layers in resistance against mechanical deformation. After stretch, Müller cells showed fast activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (after 15 minutes), upregulation of transcription factor c-Fos (after 1 hour), and basic fibroblast growth factor (after 3 hours). No changes in intermediate filament protein expression were observed in Müller cells up to 3 hours after stretch. Conclusions. A novel technique was developed for real-time monitoring of Müller cells during retinal stretch, which allowed the identification of Müller cells as a mechanoresponsive cell type. Mechanical stress triggers molecular responses in Müller cells that could prevent retinal damage.

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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
volume
51
issue
3
pages
1683 - 1690
publisher
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:77949894205
  • pmid:19892866
ISSN
0146-0404
DOI
10.1167/iovs.09-4159
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
8ce24847-b26c-458f-9843-5813f63884e8
date added to LUP
2017-06-01 16:29:00
date last changed
2024-04-14 11:51:20
@article{8ce24847-b26c-458f-9843-5813f63884e8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Purpose. To test whether Müller glial cells sense, and respond to, mechanical tension in the retina. Methods. A device was designed to stretch the retina at right angles to its surface, across retinal layers. Pieces of retina were mounted between two hollow tubes, and uniaxial force was applied to the tissue using a micrometer-stepping motor. Müller cells were selectively stained with the fluorescent, calciumsensitive dye X-Rhod-1 and were monitored in real time during retinal stretch in vitro. Immunohistochemistry was used to study protein levels and activation of intracellular pathways in stretched retinas. Results. Müller cells responded acutely with transient increases in fluorescence during stretch, indicative of increased intracellular calcium levels. All the Müller cells elongated uniformly, and there was no apparent difference between retinal layers in resistance against mechanical deformation. After stretch, Müller cells showed fast activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (after 15 minutes), upregulation of transcription factor c-Fos (after 1 hour), and basic fibroblast growth factor (after 3 hours). No changes in intermediate filament protein expression were observed in Müller cells up to 3 hours after stretch. Conclusions. A novel technique was developed for real-time monitoring of Müller cells during retinal stretch, which allowed the identification of Müller cells as a mechanoresponsive cell type. Mechanical stress triggers molecular responses in Müller cells that could prevent retinal damage.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lindqvist, Niclas and Liu, Qing and Zajadacz, Joachim and Franze, Kristian and Reichenbach, Andreas}},
  issn         = {{0146-0404}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{1683--1690}},
  publisher    = {{Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Inc.}},
  series       = {{Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science}},
  title        = {{Retinal Glial (Müller) Cells : Sensing and responding to tissue stretch}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1167/iovs.09-4159}},
  doi          = {{10.1167/iovs.09-4159}},
  volume       = {{51}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}