[The expression of Neuritin protein in the visual cortex of monocular form deprived adult rats]

To investigate the expression of Neuritin protein in the visual cortex of normal (N90), monocular deprived (MD) and reverse suture (RS) adult Wistar rats, explore whether the visual cortex of adult rats remains the plasticity.

It was an experimental research. The 35 healthy rats were divided into 7 groups, 5 in every group. The time-point for normal control and MD groups is postnatal 90 days. The time-point for RS group is 6, 12, 24, 48 h and 1 week under the RS rats were exposed to light environment. MD and RS groups were sutured right eyelid at postnatal 14 days up to postnatal 90 days. That time the right eyes were opened and the same time tarsorrhaphy was performed on the left eyes in RS groups. The visual cortex of left cerebrum in the normal control group and MD group were obtained in P90 rats, and those of RS group were acquired in corresponding time points. Expression of the Neuritin protein in the visual cortex of rats was detected by immunohistochemistry stain methods.

Expression of Neuritin protein A of the group of N90, MD, RS 6 h, RS 12 h, RS 24 h, RS 48 h, RS 1 week were 0.1097±0.0136, 0.0259±0.0057, 0.04751±0.0069, 0.05189±0.0057, 0.0649±0.0055, 0.0835±0.0097, 0.0845±0.0098 (F=105.57, P<0.05), the count in the visual cortex of rats were 163.90±5.82, 142.00±3.65, 150.00±5.46, 152.10±5.04, 156.40±5.25, 156.40±6.04, 155.80±6.54 (F=15.39, P<0.05). The expression of Neuritin protein in the visual cortex of rats in the MD group was considerably lower than that of the normal control group. The expression of Neuritin protein in the visual cortex of rats in the RS 6, 12, 24, 48 h and 1 week group was evidently higher than that in the MD group.

The dynamic change of Neuritin protein expression in the visual cortex of the MD rats and RS rats indicates that the visual cortex of adult rats with MD beyond the sensitive period of visual development remain the plasticity to some extent. It provides an experimental basis for the amblyopic treatment in elder children and adults.