Journal article
Repetitive hypoxic preconditioning protects retinal ganglion cells against damage caused by exposure to blast
PloS one, Vol.21(6), e0349124
06/08/2026
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0349124
PMCID: PMC13245785
PMID: 42258424
Abstract
Visual system damage and dysfunction caused by exposure to a blast wave has been described in both clinical studies and in pre-clinical models. Within the retina, retinal ganglion cells (RGC) exhibit sensitivity to mild blast-mediated traumatic brain injury (bTBI), which can result in progressive neurodegeneration. The purpose of this study was to determine if repetitive hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) can prevent bTBI-mediated RGC damage and death. This study utilized clinically relevant outcomes of RGC structure and function, supported by histological analysis of the surviving RGCs. Mice were exposed to six sessions of HPC over a two-week period at an 11% oxygen concentration, and subsequently subjected to bTBI using a shock tube. Four-weeks following exposure to bTBI or sham, functional and structural analysis of RGCs was performed using the pattern electroretinogram (PERG) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). BRN3A antibody labeling was subsequently used to quantify the number of RGCs surviving at the termination of the study. Analysis of RGC outcomes showed significantly decreased PERG amplitude and RGC Complex + retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in mice with bTBI compared to sham. There was no significant difference in RGC outcomes between sham mice and HPC+ bTBI mice. Taken together, these results show that HPC can provide at least partial neuroprotection to RGCs prior to blast exposure.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Repetitive hypoxic preconditioning protects retinal ganglion cells against damage caused by exposure to blast
- Creators
- Matthew M Harper - University of IowaNickolas A Boehme - Iowa City VA Health Care System
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- PloS one, Vol.21(6), e0349124
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0349124
- PMID
- 42258424
- PMCID
- PMC13245785
- NLM abbreviation
- PLoS One
- ISSN
- 1932-6203
- eISSN
- 1932-6203
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science; SAN FRANCISCO
- Grant note
- Research to Prevent Blindness U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: 1 I01 RX003389
This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development awards 1 I01 RX003389 (MMH), 1 I01 BX005855 (MMH), and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness to the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. We confirm that the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Furthermore, we state that the funder provided support in the form of salaries for authors [MMH, NAB], but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/08/2026
- Academic Unit
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9985174496102771
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