Visual stimuli induce retinal neuroprotection against acute retinal ischemia

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

Mar del Plata

Congreso; XXXII Congreso Anual SAN 2017; 2017

SAN

P158.-Visual stimuli induce retinal neuroprotection against acute retinalischemiaHernán Dieguez, Georgia Milne, María Florencia González Fleitas,Marcos Aranda, AgustinaIaquinandi, Pablo Sande, Mónica Chianelli, Ines Keller Sarmiento, Ruth Rosenstein, DamiánDorfmanLaboratorio de Neuroquímica Retiniana y Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de BioquímicaHumana, Facultad de Medicina/CEFYBO, UBA/CONICETdamiandorfman@gmail.com______________________________________________________________Enriched environment (EE) is a complex combination of inanimate and social interaction. EEboosts exploratory conduct, voluntary physical exercise, sensorial and cognitive functions,and social interaction. We have previously shown that EE induced neuroprotection againstunilateral retinal ischemia in adult rats. However, the relative contribution of eachcomponent to the effects of EE is still controversial. Our aim was to dissect the individualcontributions of the EE repertoire components in its protective effect against retinalischemia. The social and exploratory components by themselves were unable to protect theretina against unilateral ischemia. However, when ischemia was bilaterally induced,regardless of motor activity, the protection triggered by EE was abolished, suggesting that thevisual input within EE was necessary for retinal neuroprotection. To confirm this hypothesiswe induced unilateral ischemia and housed animals in a standard laboratory cage surroundedby monitors showing black/white contrast or grey patterns during the 12 h light phase.Contrast patterns achieved retinal protection against unilateral ischemia. Finally, weadministered a Trk-b receptor antagonist (ANA-12) to animals with unilateral retinal ischemiaexposed to contrast patterns. ANA-12 prevented the retinal protection against ischemia,further suggesting that visual stimuli, likely in a BDNF dependent manner, could account forthe retinal protection induced by EE.