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Hereditary retinal degenerations like retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are among the leading causes of blindness in younger patients. To enable in vivo investigation of cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for photoreceptor cell death and to allow testing of therapeutic strategies that could prevent retinal degeneration, animal models have been created. In this study, we deeply characterized the transcriptional profile of mice carrying the transgene rhodopsin V20G/P23H/P27L (VPP), which is a model for autosomal dominant RP. We examined the degree of photoreceptor degeneration and studied the impact of the VPP transgene-induced retinal degeneration on the tran- scriptome level of the retina using next generation RNA sequencing (RNASeq) analyses followed by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). We furthermore identified cellular subpopulations responsible for some of the observed dysregulations using in situ hybridizations, immunofluores- cence staining, and 3D reconstruction. Using RNASeq analysis, we identified 9256 dysregulated genes and six significantly associated gene modules in the subsequently performed WGCNA. Gene ontology enrichment showed, among others, dysregulation of genes involved in TGF-β regulated extracellular matrix organization, the (ocular) immune system/response, and cellular homeostasis. Moreover, heatmaps confirmed clustering of significantly dysregulated genes coding for components of the TGF-β, G-protein activated, and VEGF signaling pathway. 3D reconstructions of immunos- tained/in situ hybridized sections revealed retinal neurons and Müller cells as the major cellular population expressing representative components of these signaling pathways. The predominant effect of VPP-induced photoreceptor degeneration pointed towards induction of neuroinflammation and the upregulation of neuroprotective pathways like TGF-β, G-protein activated, and VEGF signal- ing. Thus, modulation of these processes and signaling pathways might represent new therapeutic options to delay the degeneration of photoreceptors in diseases like RP., publishedVersion

Ischemic insults to the heart and brain, i.e., myocardial and cerebral infarction, respectively, are amongst the leading causes of death worldwide. While there are therapeutic options to allow reperfusion of ischemic myocardial and brain tissue by reopening obstructed vessels, mitigating primary tissue damage, post-infarction inflammation and tissue remodeling can lead to secondary tissue damage. Similarly, ischemia in retinal tissue is the driving force in the progression of neovascular eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which eventually lead to functional blindness, if left untreated. Intriguingly, the easily observable retinal blood vessels can be used as a window to the heart and brain to allow judgement of microvascular damages in diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. The complex neuronal and endocrine interactions between heart, retina and brain have also been appreciated in myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and retinal diseases. To describe the intimate relationship between the individual tissues, we use the terms heart-brain and brain-retina axis in this review and focus on the role of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and neurotrophins in regulation of these axes under physiologic and pathologic conditions. Moreover, we particularly discuss their roles in inflammation and repair following ischemic/neovascular insults. As there is evidence that TGFβ signaling has the potential to regulate expression of neurotrophins, it is tempting to speculate, and is discussed here, that cross-talk between TGFβ and neurotrophin signaling protects cells from harmful and/or damaging events in the heart, retina, and brain.

OBJECTIVE In proliferative retinopathies, complications derived from neovascularization cause blindness. During early disease, pericyte's apoptosis contributes to endothelial dysfunction and leakage. Hypoxia then drives VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) secretion and pathological neoangiogenesis. Cardiac ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide) contributes to systemic microcirculatory homeostasis. ANP is also formed in the retina, with unclear functions. Here, we characterized whether endogenously formed ANP regulates retinal (neo)angiogenesis. Approach and Results: Retinal vascular development and ischemia-driven neovascularization were studied in mice with global deletion of GC-A (guanylyl cyclase-A), the cGMP-forming ANP receptor. Mice with a floxed GC-A gene were interbred with Tie2-Cre, GFAP-Cre, or PDGF-Rβ-Cre ERT2 lines to dissect the endothelial, astrocyte versus pericyte-mediated actions of ANP in vivo. In neonates with global GC-A deletion (KO), vascular development was mildly delayed. Moreover, such KO mice showed augmented vascular regression and exacerbated ischemia-driven neovascularization in the model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. Notably, absence of GC-A in endothelial cells did not impact retinal vascular development or pathological neovascularization. In vitro ANP/GC-A/cGMP signaling, via activation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase I, inhibited hypoxia-driven astrocyte's VEGF secretion and TGF-β-induced pericyte apoptosis. In neonates lacking ANP/GC-A signaling in astrocytes, vascular development and hyperoxia-driven vascular regression were unaltered; ischemia-induced neovascularization was modestly increased. Remarkably, inactivation of GC-A in pericytes retarded physiological retinal vascularization and markedly enhanced cell apoptosis, vascular regression, and subsequent neovascularization in oxygen-induced retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS Protective pericyte effects of the ANP/GC-A/cGMP pathway counterregulate the initiation and progression of experimental proliferative retinopathy. Our observations indicate augmentation of endogenous pericyte ANP signaling as target for treatment of retinopathies associated with neovascularization.

Über den Sehsinn nehmen wir sowohl unsere Mitmenschen als auch unsere Umgebung wahr, und so zählt dieser Sinneseindruck für den einzelnen Menschen sicherlich mit zur wichtigsten Sinneswahrnehmung. Eine Minderung oder Verlust des Sehvermögens wird von den Betroffenen als eine massive Einschränkung ihrer Lebensqualität empfunden, da dies sowohl die Interaktionsmöglichkeiten mit anderen Menschen betrifft, oftmals aber auch einhergeht mit generellen Einschränkungen eines selbstbestimmten Lebens. In Deutschland gelten nach der Defini-tion der Weltgesundheitsorganisation 164.000 Menschen als blind und über eine Million Menschen als sehbehindert. Die häufigsten Krankheitsursachen sind hierbei die altersbedingte Makuladegeneration (AMD), die durch die Zuckerkrankheit Diabetes mellitus hervorgerufenen Netzhautveränderungen (diabetische Retinopathie), das Glaukom sowie die Gruppe erblich bedingter Netzhautdegenerationen. Da die drei erstgenannten Erkrankungen mit zunehmendem Alter stark gehäuft auftreten, ist auf Grund der demographischen Entwicklung davon auszugehen, dass in den nächsten Jahren die Zahl der Sehbehindertenund Blinden in Deutschland dramatisch zunehmen wird., Blick in die Wissenschaft, Bd. 26 Nr. 35/36 (2017): Blick in die Wissenschaft

Background: Photoreceptor cell death due to extensive light exposure and induced oxidative-stress are associated with retinal degeneration. A correlated dysregulation of the complement system amplifies the damaging effects, but the local and time-dependent progression of this mechanism is not thoroughly understood. Methods: Light-induced photoreceptor damage (LD) was induced in Balb/c mice with white light illumination either for 24 h with 1000 lux (constant model) or 0.5 h with 5000 lux (acute model). Complement protein and mRNA expression levels were compared at 1 and 3 days post-LD for C1s, complement factor B (CFB), mannose binding lectin A, mannose-binding protein-associated serine protease 1 (MASP-1), C3, C4, C9, and complement factor P in retina and RPE/choroid. Histological analyses visualized apoptosis, microglia/macrophage migration, gliosis and deposition of the complement activation marker C3d. Systemic anaphylatoxin serum concentrations were determined using an ELISA. Results: Apoptosis, gliosis and microglia/macrophage migration into the outer nuclear layer showed similar patterns in both models. Local complement factor expression revealed an early upregulation of complement factor mRNA in the acute and constant light regimen at 1 day post-treatment for c1s, cfb, masp-1, c3, c4 and c9 in the RPE/choroid. However, intraretinal complement mRNA expression for c1s, cfb, c3 and c4 was increased at 1 day in the constant and at 3 days in the acute model. A corresponding regulation on protein level in the retina following both LD models was observed for C3, which was upregulated at 1 day and correlated with increased C3d staining in the ganglion cell layer and at the RPE. In the RPE/choroid C1s-complex protein detection was increased at 3 days after LD irrespectively of the light intensities used. Conclusion: LD in mouse eyes is correlated with local complement activity. The time-dependent local progression of complement regulation on mRNA and protein levels were equivalent in the acute and constant LD model, except for the intraretinal, time-dependent mRNA expression. Knowing the relative time courses of local complement expression and cellular activity can help to elucidate novel therapeutic options in retinal degeneration indicating at which time point of disease complement has to be rebalanced.