Investigations into Hypoxia and Oxidative Stress at the Optic Nerve Head in a Rat Model of Glaucoma.

ABSTRACT: The vascular hypothesis of glaucoma proposes that retinal ganglion cell axons traversing the optic nerve head (ONH) undergo oxygen and nutrient insufficiency as a result of compromised local blood flow, ultimately leading to their degeneration. To date, evidence for the hypothesis is largely circumstantial. Herein, we made use of an induced rat model of glaucoma that features reproducible and widespread axonal transport disruption at the ONH following chronic elevation of intraocular pressure. If vascular insufficiency plays a role in the observed axonal transport failure, there should exist a physical signature at this time point. Using a range of immunohistochemical and molecular tools, we looked for cellular events indicative of vascular insufficiency, including the presence of hypoxia,

SUBMITTER: Chidlow G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5573812 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature