Blue Light Promotes Neurite Outgrowth of Retinal Explants in Postnatal ChR2 Mice.

ABSTRACT: Neurons in the adult mammalian CNS fails to regenerate after severe injury. However, it is known that an increase in neural activity occurs in mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) after extrinsic stimulation and this can induce axon growth. In the present study, we applied an optogenetic approach using a mouse model, specifically involving channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) expression in RGCs. We investigated whether modulation of RGC neural activity exclusively by blue light stimulation is able to promote neurite outgrowth of postnatal retinal explants. The results showed that activation of RGCs expressing ChR2 by 20 Hz blue light for 1 h is a most effective way of enhancing neurite outgrowth in postnatal retinas. This is achieved via gap junctions that spread neural activity across the whole retin

SUBMITTER: Lin CI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6712202 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul/Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature