Hypothermia Protects and Prolongs the Tolerance Time of Retinal Ganglion Cells against Ischemia

Purpose

Hypothermia has been shown to be neuroprotective in the therapy of ischemic stroke in the brain. To date no studies exist on the level of the inner retina and it is unclear if hypothermia would prolong the ischemic tolerance time of retinal ganglion cells, which are decisive in many ischemic retinopathies.

Methods

Bovine eyes were enucleated and stored either at 21°C or 37°C for 100 or 340 minutes, respectively. Afterwards the globes were dissected, the retina was prepared and either the spontaneous ganglion cell responses were measured or the retina was incubated as an organotypic culture for additional 24 hours. After incubation the retina was either processed for histology (H&E and DAPI staining) or real-time PCR (Thy-1 expression) was performed.

Results

Hypothermia prolonged ganglion cell survival up to 340 minutes under ischemic conditions. In contrast to eyes kept at 37°C the eyes stored at 21°C still showed spontaneous ganglion cell spiking (56.8% versus 0%), a 5.8 fold higher Thy-1 mRNA expression (not significant, but a trend) and a preserved retinal structure after 340 minutes of ischemia.

Conclusion

Hypothermia protects retinal ganglion cells against ischemia and prolongs their ischemic tolerance time.     

Altered hormone control of cyclic AMP formation in isolated parenchymal liver cells from rats treated with 2-acetylaminofluorene

The hormone control of cyclic AMP-formation in isolated parenchymal liver cells from rats fed the carcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene (0.025% for 4–8 weeks) was studied. The cells from the carcinogen-treated animals responded much more strongly to adrenergic agents than cells from control animals, while no significant difference was found for the glucagon effect. Of the adrenergic substances studied, the order of potency was isoprenalin ⩾ adrenalin > phenylephrine; stimulation was blocked by propranolol, but not by phentolamine. The effects of supramaximal concentrations of isoprenalin and glucagon were not additive.     

Effects of warming on annual production and nutrient‐use efficiency of aquatic mosses in a high Arctic lake

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Structural and Kinetic Studies of the Allosteric Transition in Sulfolobus solfataricus Uracil Phosphoribosyltransferase: Permanent Activation by Engineering of the C-Terminus

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