Change with age in murine corneal epithelial actin and myosin: immunofluorescent and ELISA analyses

The purpose of this study was to use immunofluorescence and ELISA immunoassay to determine whether the cellular distribution and concentration of corneal epithelial actin and myosin change with chronologic age. Diffuse anti-actin and anti-myosin indirect immunofluorescence was observed within the cytoplasm of the corneal epithelium from mice aged postnatal day (PND) 1-18 months. Additionally, highly fluorescent punctate foci were first observed in cortical cytoplasm consistently for both anti-actin and anti-myosin at PND 14. This fluorescent pattern remained relatively unchanged for the remaining ages examined. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to quantitate the amount of actin and myosin in corneal epithelium from mice aged PND 1 to 24 months. Corneal epithelial sheets were removed from whole eyes and processed for ELISA assay. Actin cellular concentration increased from PND 1-7 and decreased from PND 7-16. These results were statistically significant (p less than .005). No statistically significant difference in actin concentration was found for any of the remaining ages examined (PND 16-24 months). Myosin concentration increased from PND 1-7 and decreased until PND 14. These results also were statistically significant (p less than .005 and p less than .005, respectively). There was no significant change in myosin concentration for any of the remaining ages examined (PND 16-24 months).