Increased cell genesis in retinal pigment epithelium of perinatal vitiligo mutant mice

To compare cell proliferation in vitiligo and control mouse retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) perinatally.

C57BL/6J-mivit/mivit mice and congenic +/+ controls were injected once with bromodeoxyuridine 1 hour before they were killed between embryonic day 18 and postnatal day 8. Wholemounts of Carnoy-fixed posterior eyecups, minus lens and neural retina, were stained immunohistochemically to detect DNA synthesis (bromodeoxyuridine incorporation) and mitotic cells (R3 antibody binding). Cells were counted in carefully controlled sampling sites, and total RPE area and face-view cell areas were calculated. Retinal pigment epithelial cell heights were measured on light and electron micrographs.

Total surface areas of the mutant and control RPE monolayer were similar (I.E., RPE wholemount area was normal), but cell number was approximately doubled in the mutant RPE. By postnatal day 6, mutant cells had approximately 70% the face-view area as controls, but their heights were increased approximately 80%, so that cell volumes were near normal despite the higher packing density. Regional differences in cell size in the control RPE were absent in the mutant specimens. The mutant RPE showed an increased bromodeoxyuridine labeling index, as well as an absolute increase in the number of cells engaged in DNA synthesis and in mitosis.

Cell genesis in the vitiligo RPE is quantitatively abnormal perinatally, well before the neural retina has been recognized to display functional or morphologic defects. Cells are being generated at an abnormally high rate, so that twice the normal number of cells are packed into a RPE of normal total area.