Retinal metabolic changes in an experimental model of optic nerve transection by ex vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Shuang Li, Mingming Huang, Xinghua Wang, Xuxia Wang, Fei Chen, Hao Lei, Fagang Jiang

Department of Ophthalmology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China. ashuangli@126.com

Neurochemical research 2011 Dec

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This study aims to investigate the retinal metabolic processes in a rat axotomy model. Retinal metabolic changes in optic nerve transection (ONT) rat model were analyzed by (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS). Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) densities were assessed from retinal whole mounts. The retina was stained immunohistochemically with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The results showed that the retina in ONT rats had significantly decreased concentrations of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), N-acetylaspartate (NAA), taurine (Tau), creatine (Cr) and increased concentrations of alanine (Ala) compared with control. Examination of glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln) and Glx (Glu + Gln) concentrations disclosed no significant differences. The mean density of RGCs reduced from 2,249 ± 87 cells/mm(2) in control group to 320 ± 56 cells/mm(2) in ONT group. GFAP immunoreactivity was markedly higher in ONT group than that in control group. The retinal metabolism after ONT was associated with neurotransmitter recycling/production perturbation, as well as other metabolic disequilibrium.

Citation

Shuang Li, Mingming Huang, Xinghua Wang, Xuxia Wang, Fei Chen, Hao Lei, Fagang Jiang. Retinal metabolic changes in an experimental model of optic nerve transection by ex vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Neurochemical research. 2011 Dec;36(12):2427-33