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Reduction of ocular blood flow results in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in rat retinal Müller cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

N. N. Osborne
Affiliation:
Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, UK
F. Block
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Group, 3400 Göttingen, Germany
K. -H. Sontag
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Group, 3400 Göttingen, Germany

Abstract

Reduction of blood flow to the rat retina was achieved by either clamping both carotid arteries briefly (24 min) or combining clamping of the carotid arteries with permanent occlusion of the vertebral arteries. Analysis of retinas 6 days after operations showed that GFAP immunoreactivity is expressed throughout the retinal Müller cells, although this was variable in retinas from animals where only the carotid arteries were clamped. GFAP immunoreactivity was not associated with retinal Müller cells from control animals and no obvious neuronal damage was observed in retinas from operated animals. These data suggest that Müller-cell GFAP expression may be used as an index to follow possible processes leading to an ischemic insult.

Type
Short Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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