Electrophysiological characterization of Müller cells from the ischemic retina of mice deficient in the leukemia inhibitory factor

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a cytokine that exerts different effects in the nervous system. It is involved in neuronal injuries and diseases and is assumed to be neuroprotective and to regulate reactive gliosis. In LIF-deficient (LIF-/-) mice, expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in retinal Muller glial cells as a hallmark of reactive gliosis is suppressed during retinal degenerations. Here, we detected expression of LIF and its receptors in Muller cells of the murine retina. Moreover, electrophysiological alterations of Muller cells 7 days after transient retinal ischemia were studied by the patch-clamp technique. The amplitude of inward currents in Muller cells from the postischemic retina was reduced to 51% in wild type and to 70% in LIF-/- mice. This demonstrates that decrease of inward currents takes place in reactive Muller cells even in the absence of LIF.