Impaired electroretinogram (ERG) response in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice
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Updated: Sep 23, 2026
Direct-Coupled Electroretinogram (DC-ERG) for Recording the Light-Evoked Electrical Responses of the Mouse Retinal Pigment Epithelium
Published on: July 14, 2020
John M Ong1, Nadia C Zorapapel, Annette M Aoki
1Molecular Eye Research Laboratory, Burns and Allen Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. ongj@cshs.org
Purpose:
We investigated the effects of 35 weeks of a cholesterol diet in apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient mice on their ERG response.
Methods:
C57BL/6J and apoE-deficient mice were fed regular mouse chow (C57-R and ApoE-R, respectively) or a cholesterol-containing diet (C57-C and ApoE-C, respectively). Retinal function was assessed by dark-adapted electroretinography (ERG). Retina tissue was also analyzed by immunohistochemical staining and nucleic acid array expression analysis performed by gene array technology.
Results:
ApoE-C mice had diminished a- and b-wave amplitudes (60.7% +/- 8.4% (p < 0.005) and 44.8% +/- 10% (p < 0.005) of control values, respectively). Gene expression profiling revealed upregulation of several pro-apoptotic genes. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry showed increased Bax immunoreactivity.
Conclusions:
In the hypercholesterolemic mice, we demonstrated a loss of ERG response and induction of apoptotic activity at the gene and protein levels. Our current and previous findings suggest that cholesterol metabolism plays an important role in retinal function.
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