Ocular inflammation alters swelling and membrane characteristics of rat Müller glial cells

J Neuroimmunol. 2005 Apr;161(1-2):145-54. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2005.01.003.

Abstract

Ocular inflammation is a common cause of retinal edema that may involve swelling of Müller glial cells. In order to investigate whether endotoxin-induced ocular inflammation in rats alters the swelling and membrane characteristics of Müller cells, lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.5%) was intravitreally injected. At 3 and 7 days after treatment, hypotonic challenge induced swelling of Müller cell somata that was not observed in non-treated control eyes. Müller cells of LPS-treated eyes displayed a downregulation of inward K(+) currents and upregulation of A-type K(+) currents that was associated with a decreased expression of Kir4.1 protein in retinal slices. The data suggest that ocular inflammation induces alterations of both the swelling characteristics and the K(+) channel expression of Müller cells.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Cell Size / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Edema / chemically induced
  • Edema / pathology
  • Edema / physiopathology
  • Electric Capacitance
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Excitatory Amino Acids / pharmacology
  • Eye Diseases / chemically induced
  • Eye Diseases / pathology*
  • Eye Diseases / physiopathology*
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism
  • Glutamic Acid / pharmacology
  • Immunohistochemistry / methods
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Membrane Potentials / physiology*
  • Membrane Potentials / radiation effects
  • Neuroglia / pathology*
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques / methods
  • Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying / drug effects
  • Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying / metabolism
  • Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying / physiology
  • Potassium Chloride / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Long-Evans
  • Retina / pathology

Substances

  • Excitatory Amino Acids
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
  • Kcnj10 (channel)
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying
  • Glutamic Acid
  • Potassium Chloride