PEDF expression in normal and illuminated rat retina.

SOLIÑO M, LÓPEZ EM, MARTIGNONE N, GIRARDI E Y LÓPEZ-COSTA JJ.

Huerta Grande Córdoba

Congreso; XXIX Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias (SAN),; 2014

SAN

P54.-PEDF expression in normal and illuminated rat retina Manuel Soliño, Ester María López, Noelí Martignone, Elena Girardi, Juan José López-Costa IBCN ¨Prof. E. De Robertis¨; Facultad de Medicina, UBA-CONICET solino.manu@gmail.com Continuous illumination (CI) of rat retina produces photoreceptor degeneration resembling human retinal degenerative diseases. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a secreted protein which promotes the differentiation of primitive retinal cells; is antiangiogenic, regulates cell cycle and induces apoptosis. In order to shed some light on the processes underlying retinal degenerations, we studied PEDF distribution in control (CTL) and illuminated (IL) rat retinas. Sprague Dawley rats were submitted to CI (12000 lux) during 1, 2, 5 and 7 days. The tissue was processed either by immunocytochemistry (ICC) or by Western Blot (WB) using a PEDF mouse monoclonal antibody (Chemicon Int). Results were quantified by image analysis. Data were statistically analysed by ANOVA (ICC) or Student´s t test (WB).CTL animals showed PDEF immunoreactivity (PDEF-IR) in inter photoreceptor matrix (IPM). After 2 days of CI, there was a significant decrease in the OD of PDEF-IR in the IPM and a significant increase in the outer nuclear layer and in Müller cell processes in the inner retina. WB showed a significant decrease of PEDF at days 1, 5 and 7 of CI.Our results show that, as retinal injury progresses, PEDF decreases in the IPM and probably diffuses to other retinal layers due to the destruction of retinal outer limiting membrane. Determination of PEDF by WB shows that there is a general decrease of PEDF in the retinal tissue along CI. (Supported by CONICET PIP1098-UBACYT 20020100100329).