Browsing by Subject "Retinal cells"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Expression of neuropeptides and their receptors in the developing retina of mammals
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2003) Bagnoli, P.; Dal Monte, M.; Casini, G.
    The present review examines various aspects of the developmental expression of neuropeptides and of their receptors in mammalian retinas, emphasizing their possible roles in retinal maturation. Different peptidergic systems have been investigated with some detail during retinal development, including substance P (SP), somatostatin (SRIF), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), opioid peptides and corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF). Overall, the developmental expression of most peptides is characterized by early appearance, transient features and achievement of the mature pattern at the time of eye opening. Concerning possible developmental actions of neuropeptides, recent studies imply a role of SP in the modulation of cholinergic neurotransmission in early postnatal rabbit retinas, when cholinergic cells participate in the retinal spontaneous waves of activity. In addition, the presence of transient SRIF expressing ganglion cells and recent observations in SRIF receptor knock-out mice indicate variegated roles of this peptide in the development of the retina and of retinofugal projections. Furthermore, VIP and PACAP exert protective and growth-promoting actions that may sustain retinal neurons during their development, and opioid peptides may control cell proliferation in the developing retina. Finally, a peak in the expression of certain peptides, including VIP, NPY and CRF, is present around the time of eye opening, when the retina begins the analysis of structured visual information, suggesting important roles of these peptides during this delicate phase of retinal development. In summary, although the physiological actions of peptides during retinal development are far from being clarified, the data reviewed herein indicate promising perspectives in this field of study.
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    Fetal ocular movements and retinal cell differentiation: analysis employing DNA microarrays
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2006) Baguma-Nibasheka, M.; Reddy, T.; Abbas-Butt, A.; Kablar, B.
    As developmental biologists we study the role of fetal movements in providing continuity between prenatal and postnatal life. There are two major categories of fetal motility. The first category consists of movements that have an obvious effect on the survival or development of the fetus (e.g., changes of position, sucking and swallowing). The second category consists of fetal movements that anticipate postnatal functions. For example, fetal ocular movements (FOMs) predict postnatal eye function (e.g., motion vision) of the newborn and therefore represent an important indicator of fetal health. However, while the clinical significance of fetal motility is obvious, its biological significance is elusive. We propose to use retina of genetically modified mouse embryos to study the biological role of FOMs in the genesis of cell diversity and organ functional maturation. Our results have already demonstrated the importance of fetal eye motility in the differentiation of cholinergic amacrine cells (CACs) in the retina (Kablar, 2003). Apparently, these cells are sensitive to motion and also responsible for motion vision. In the current report, we suggest employing the unique opportunity provided by the mouse Myf5-/-:MyoD-/- knock-outs that lack skeletal musculature and FOMs, microarray analysis and the follow-up experiments to identify a group of candidate genes that are essential for the molecular regulation of CAC differentiation and in turn for the functional maturation of the visual system towards its ability to perform motion vision. Finally, the molecules identified via this approach may be important in the mechanochemical signal transduction pathways employed during the process of conversion of a mechanical stimulus into an instruction understandable by the developing retinal neurons and glia cells.
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    Functional aspects of the somatostatinergic system in the retina and the potential therapeutic role of somatostatin in retinal disease
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2005) Casini, G.; Catalani, E.; Dal Monte, M.; Bagnoli, P.
    The somatostatinergic system of the retina has been investigated in a variety of studies. A considerable amount of experimental evidence is available concerning the patterns of expression of somatostatin (SRIF) and its receptors in vertebrate retinas. However the functional roles of this peptidergic system in retinal physiology are far from being elucidated. Nonetheless, data have been provided concerning the regulatory action of SRIF on the excitability of different retinal cell types and on the modulation of ion channels in different vertebrate retinas. The present review is focused on recent and unpublished investigations of the mouse retina relative to the involvement of specific SRIF receptors in the regulation of ion channels and transmitter release, the transduction pathways coupled to SRIF receptors, and the mechanisms regulating the expression of SRIF and its receptors as derived from studies in transgenic animal models. In these models, altered expression levels of SRIF or of specific SRIF receptors have also been found to affect the morphology of retinal cell types (namely the rod bipolar cells) and to result in functional alterations at the level of both ion channel regulation and transmitter release. These new pieces of evidence constitute an important step forward in the understanding of the functional actions of the retinal somatostatinergic system, although our current knowledge is far from being exhaustive. The ultimate goal of understanding SRIF functional actions in the retina is concerned with the possibility of using SRIF or its analogs as therapeutic agents to cure retinal diseases. Indeed, encouraging results are being obtained in clinical investigations focused on the use of SRIF analogs to treat diabetic retinopathy, a retinal disease with high social impact and originating as a complication of diabetes. The closing part of the present paper examines the evidence supporting SRIF as a promising therapeutic agent in this disease.