XPERIENCE TRIGGERED BY ENRICHED ENVIRONMENT PROTECTS THE VISUAL PATHWAY ALTERATIONS INDUCED BY EXPERIMENTAL GLAUCOMA IN ADULT RATS

ROSENSTEIN RE; CHIANELLI MS; MILNE G; GONZALEZ FLEITAS M FLORENCIA; SANDE PH; DIEGUEZ HH; DORFMAN D; KELLER SARMIENTO MI; DEVOUASSOUX JD; ARANDA ML

CABA

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias; 2017

(1683) EXPERIENCE TRIGGERED BY ENRICHED ENVIRONMENTPROTECTS THE VISUAL PATHWAY ALTERATIONS INDUCED BY EXPERIMENTAL GLAUCOMA IN ADULT RATSMaría Florencia González Fleitas, Marcos Luis Aranda, Damian Dorfman, Georgia Milne, Julian Devouassoux, Hernan Dieguez, Mónica Chianelli, María Inés Keller Sarmiento, Pablo Sande, Ruth E. RosensteinLaboratorio de Neuroquímica Retiniana y Oftalmología Experimental, CEFyBO, UBA/CONICETGlaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, characterized by retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss and optic nerve damage. Increased intraocular pressure (IOP) is the most accepted risk factor for developing glaucomatous neuropathy, however many patients with successful IOP control continue to lose vision. Enriched environment (EE) is a paradigm that involves sensory, cognitive, motor, and social stimulation.The aim of this work was to analyze whether the exposure to EE prevents glaucomatous alterations. Adult male Wistar rats received 30% hyaluronic acid (ZHYALCOAT®) in the anterior chamberof one eye and vehicle in the contralateral eye, once a week,and were housed in standard environment (SE) or EE for 10 weeks.Animals were subjected to functional (electroretinogram (ERG) andflash visual evoked potentials (VEPs) recording with skull-implantedelectrodes), and histological analysis. The number of RGCs wasassessed by Brn3aimmunoreactivity. An immunohistochemical analysisof Iba1 (microglia and macrophage marker), and glial fibrillaryacidic protein (GFAP) levels in the retina and optic nerve was performed.EE housing which did not affect IOP (p