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Published on: May 11, 2015
Analysis of Corneal Axons Remodeling In Vivo during Development and Aging Using Long-Term Imaging in Mice.
Elena Bizzarri1, Quentin Rappeneau1, Cadisha Saint-Hilaire1
1Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France.
Summary
Longitudinal live imaging reveals dynamic superficial corneal nerves and stable deep nerves in mice. This study highlights age-related corneal nerve loss and introduces a new method for studying nerve plasticity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- The cornea's sensory innervation is vital for eye health and protective reflexes.
- Understanding corneal nerve development and remodeling in vivo is limited.
- Corneal nerves are crucial for maintaining ocular surface homeostasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term dynamics and plasticity of corneal nerves in vivo.
- To characterize corneal nerve remodeling during development and aging.
- To establish a live imaging platform for studying peripheral nerve behavior.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal live imaging of corneal nerves using spinning-disk confocal microscopy.
- Utilized CGRP:GFP transgenic mice for nociceptive axon labeling.
- Tracked corneal nerve morphology from the third postnatal week to nearly 2 years of age.
Main Results:
- Superficial corneal nerve plexus and terminals exhibit continuous remodeling and high axonal dynamics.
- Deep stromal nerves demonstrate remarkable long-term stability.
- Observed a significant decrease in corneal axonal coverage with aging.
Conclusions:
- Corneal nerves display distinct plasticity patterns between superficial and deep layers.
- Aging leads to reduced corneal innervation, impacting ocular surface health.
- Spinning-disk confocal microscopy provides a powerful, minimally invasive tool for studying axonal plasticity and aging in vivo.
