T and B Lymphocyte Deficiency in Rag1-/- Mice Reduces Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss in Experimental Glaucoma

Oliver W Gramlich; Cheyanne R Godwin; Neal D Heuss; Dale S Gregerson; Markus H Kuehn

doi:10.1167/iovs.61.14.18

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T and B Lymphocyte Deficiency in Rag1-/- Mice Reduces Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss in Experimental Glaucoma

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T and B Lymphocyte Deficiency in Rag1-/- Mice Reduces Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss in Experimental Glaucoma

Oliver W Gramlich, Cheyanne R Godwin, Neal D Heuss, Dale S Gregerson and Markus H Kuehn

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, Vol.61(14), pp.18-18

12/01/2020

DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.14.18

PMCID: PMC7745626

PMID: 33320171

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Abstract

We previously demonstrated that passive transfer of lymphocytes from glaucomatous mice induces retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damage in recipient animals, suggesting a role for immune responses in the multifactorial pathophysiology of glaucoma. Here we evaluate whether absence of an adaptive immune response reduces RGC loss in glaucoma. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) was induced in one eye of C57BL/6J (B6) or T- and B-cell-deficient Rag1-/- knockout mice. After 16 weeks RGC density was determined in both the induced and the normotensive contralateral eyes. Data were compared to mice having received injections of "empty" vector (controls). The number of extravascular CD3+ cells in the retinas was determined using FACS. Retinas of eyes with elevated IOP contain significantly more extravasated CD3+ cells than control retinas (46.0 vs. 27.1, P = 0.025). After 16 weeks of elevated IOP the average RGC density in B6 mice decreased by 20.7% (P = 1.9 × 10-4). In contrast, RGC loss in Rag1-/- eyes with elevated IOP was significantly lower (10.3%, P = 0.006 vs. B6). RGC loss was also observed in the contralateral eyes of B6 mice, despite the absence of elevated IOP in those eyes (10.1%; P = 0.008). In RAG1-/- loss in the contralateral eyes was minimal (3.1%) and significantly below that detected in B6 (P = 0.02). Our findings demonstrate that T Rag1-/- mice are significantly protected from glaucomatous RGC loss. In this model, lymphocyte activity contributes to approximately half of all RGC loss in eyes with elevated IOP and to essentially all loss observed in normotensive contralateral eyes.

Details

Title: Subtitle: T and B Lymphocyte Deficiency in Rag1-/- Mice Reduces Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss in Experimental Glaucoma
Creators: Oliver W Gramlich - Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
Cheyanne R Godwin - Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
Neal D Heuss - University of Minnesota, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Dale S Gregerson - University of Minnesota, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Markus H Kuehn - Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, Vol.61(14), pp.18-18
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.14.18
PMID: 33320171
PMCID: PMC7745626
NLM abbreviation: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
ISSN: 0146-0404
eISSN: 1552-5783
Publisher: United States
Grant note: R01 EY025209 / NEI NIH HHS I01 RX001163 / RRD VA P30 EY025580 / NEI NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 12/01/2020
Academic Unit: Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Neuroscience and Pharmacology; Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Record Identifier: 9984070681202771

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