Electrical synapses interconnecting axons revealed in the optic nerve head - a novel model of gap junctions' involvement in optic nerve function.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To characterize newly discovered electrical synapses, formed by connexin (Cx) 36 and 45, between neighbouring axons within the optic nerve head.

Methods

Twenty-five Wistar rats were killed by CO₂ inhalation. Proximal and distal optic nerve (ON) stumps were collected and processed for immunostainings, electron microscopy (EM) with immunogold labelling, PCR and Western blots (WB). Additional 15 animals were deeply anaesthetized, and flash visual evoked potentials (fVEP) after retrobulbar injection of saline (negative control) or 100 μm meclofenamic acid solution (gap junctions' blocker) were recorded. Human paraffin cross-sections of eyeballs for immunostainings were obtained from the Human Eye Biobank for Research.

Results

Immunostainings of both rat

SUBMITTER: Smedowski A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7318195 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature