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Age-dependent decrease of retinal kynurenate and kynurenine aminotransferases in DBA/2J mice, a model of ocular
Robert Rejdak1, Konrad Kohler, Tomasz Kocki
1Department of Pathophysiology of Vision and Neuro-Ophthalmology, Division of Experimental Opthalmology, University Eye Hospital, Röntgenweg 11, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. rrejdak@yahoo.com
Abstract:
The study examines age-dependent changes of kynurenic acid (KYNA) content and kynurenine aminotransferases (KAT I and KAT II) celluar expression in the retinas of DBA/2J mice. Retinas were obtained from DBA/2J mice of different ages (3, 6 and 11 months). C57BL6 mice were used as controls. As measured with HPLC, KYNA content decreased (p < 0.01) in the retinas of 6-month-old DBA/2J mice and continued to decrease (p < 0.0074) in the retinas of 11-month-old animals compared to the controls. Immunohistochemistry showed that expression of both KAT I and KAT II decreased markedly in the retinas of 11-month-old DBA/2J mice compared to controls. The impairment in KYNA biosynthesis in the retinas of DBA/2J mice may be one of the mechanisms of retinal neurodegeneration related to ocular hypertension.