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Nestin, a new marker, expressed in Müller cells following retinal injury
Liping Xue1, Peng Ding, Libo Xiao
1State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Purpose:
To investigate whether nestin would be a useful marker for retinal injury and also to ascertain a better understanding of the roles of Müller cells in the injured retina by the use of damaged rat retina.
Methods:
A total of 33 adult female Wistar rats were used in this study. Three were used as controls and the remaining as retinal injury modes (6 for hypoxia; 15 for experimental glaucoma and 9 for optic nerve transection). Double immunofluorescence labeling was carried out between nestin and glutamine synthetase (GS), and between glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and GS antisera in normal and pathological retinae.
Results:
The results showed that there were no nestin nor GFAP staining in mature Müller cells of the normal retina. A major finding was that nestin expression was induced in Müller cells subjected to hypoxia, glaucoma and optic nerve transection.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that nestin as well as GFAP (even more sensitive than GFAP) are useful and reliable biomarkers for retinal damage. The more intense expression of nestin, GFAP and GS in the end-feet of Müller cells suggest that they may help to maintain the retinal structural integrity and to enhance functional recovery in various retinal diseases.
