Experience-dependent retinal protection against acute ischemia

DORFMAN, DAMIÁN; GONZÁLEZ FLEITAS, MARÍA FLORENCIA; DEVOUASSOUX, JULIÁN D.; DIEGUEZ, HERNÁN H.; KELLER SARMIENTO, MARÍA I.; SANDE, PABLO H.; ROSENSTEIN, RUTH E.; ARANDA, MARCOS L.; IAQUINANDI, AGUSTINA; CHIANELLI, MÓNICA

Mar del Plata

Congreso; XXXII Congreso Anual SAN 2017; 2017

SAN

P132.-Experience-dependent retinal protection against acute ischemiaGonzález FleitasMaría Florencia, Aranda Marcos Luis, Dorfman Damián, Dieguez Hernán,Iaquinandi Agustina, Devouassoux Julián Daniel, Sande Pablo, Chianelli Mónica, KellerSarmientoMaría Ines, Rosenstein Ruth EHuman Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, CEFyBO/CONICET, RetinalNeurochemistry and Experimental Ophthalmology Laboratory, Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentinaflorgf88@gmail.com______________________________________________________________Ischemia is a key component of several retinal diseases that are leading causes of irreversibleblindness. At present, there are no effective strategies to prevent retinal ischemic damage(ID). Enriched environment (EE) is a paradigm that involves sensory, cognitive, motor, andsocial stimulation. The aim was to analyze whether the previous exposure to EE preventsacute retinal ID. Adult male Wistar rats were exposed to standard environment (SE) or EE for1 or 3 weeks before ischemia. Retinal ischemia was induced by increasing intraocularpressure to 120 mm Hg for 40 min. After ischemia, both groups were housed in SE for 3weeks, and subjected to functional (by electroretinogram (ERG) and anterograde transport tocentral visual areas) and histological analysis. The number of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) wasassessed by Brn3a-immunoreactivity. In animals housed in SE, ID induced a significantdecrease in ERG a- and b- wave amplitude and oscillatory potentials and anterogradetransport, whereas the previous exposure to EE prevented these alterations. Two weeks afterischemia, a significant decrease in the total retinal thickness, the number of RGCs as well asan increase in Iba1 and ED1 immunoreactivity were found in retinas from animals housed inSE, whereas in ischemic retinas from animals housed in EE, these parameters weresignificantly preserved. These results suggest that the exposure to EE decreases retinalvulnerability to ID.