Experience triggered by enriched environment protects visual pathway alterations induced by experimental glaucoma in adult rats.

ARANDA ML; DEVOUASSOUX JD; DORFMAN D; KELLER SARMIENTO MI; DIEGUEZ H; SANDE PH; GONZÁLEZ FLEITAS MF; MILNE GA; CHIANELLI MS; ROSENSTEIN RE

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Joint meeting of bioscience societies.; 2017

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, characterized by retinalganglion cell (RGC) loss and optic nerve damage. Increased intraocularpressure (IOP) is the most accepted risk factor for developingglaucomatous neuropathy, however many patients with successfulIOP control continue to lose vision. Enriched environment (EE) is aparadigm that involves sensory, cognitive, motor, and social stimulation.The aim of this work was to analyze whether the exposureto EE prevents glaucomatous alterations. Adult male Wistar ratsreceived 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