Figure 5: Effect of BDNF on the proliferation of Müller glial cells during retinal degeneration.
From: Glia- and neuron-specific functions of TrkB signalling during retinal degeneration and regeneration
(a) Animal protocols. MNU (60 mg kg−1) was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) to WT, TrkBGFAP KO and GFAP-Cre LacZ mice. BrdU (50 mg kg−1) was injected (i.p.) at day 0, 2, 4 and 6 after MNU treatment. PBS, BDNF (1 μg μl−1) and K252a (1 mM) were intraocularly injected at day 0, 2 and 4, and the animals were killed at day 5 or 7. (b) Sections of the retina treated with PBS, BDNF and K252a in WT and TrkBGFAP KO mice (day 5). BDNF increased BrdU-labelling in GLAST-positive cells in the INL (arrowheads) and some cells in the ONL in WT, but not in TrkBGFAP KO mice. K252a (a blocker for Trk receptors) inhibited BDNF-induced BrdU expression. (c) BrdU-labelled cells in the ONL were double labelled (arrowheads) with rhodopsin or recoverin in WT mice, and with β-gal in GFAP-Cre LacZ mice (day 7). (d) BrdU-labelled cells in the GCL were double labelled (arrowheads) with Brn3b or calretinin (day 7). Scale bar, 50 μm. GCL, ganglion cell layer; INL, inner nuclear layer; ONL, outer nuclear layer.
