Immunohistochemical Findings in the Early Ischemic Retina of Gerbil Model

Kweon, Oh Chang; Shon, Mi Ah

Abstract

Gerbil has no Willis circle so we can make the model of cerebral ischemia simply by occluding the common carotid artery. In this study, we occluded the common carotid arteries of the gerbil for 5 minutes, and at the designated reperfusion time (0.5, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hrs), the experimental animals were killed for histopathological and neurofilament 68 kDa immunohistochemical study. At 12 hrs after ischemia the neuronal cell change occurred in inner nuclear layer (INL)and ganglion cell layer (GCL). At 24 hrs after ischemia the disappearance of neurons were observed in GCL and severe edema, pyknotic degeneration were observed in INL and outer nuclear layer (ONL ). On immunohistochemical study, the NF 68 kDa antibody labelled the cell bodies in the GCL and some nerve fibers in nerve fiber layer (NFL). In addition, the processes of horizontal cells also showed the slight NF 68 kDa immunoreactivity. After ischemic insult, the intensity of NF 68 kDa immunoreactivity in GCL and NFL was slightly decreased. But, its intensity in the process of horizontal cells was increased. And the NF 68 kDa immunoreacticity was detected in some neurons of INL and ONL. This represents the neurofilament protein has the important role in the cell death at the ischemic retina as well as at the ischemic brain.