Biomedical Research

Objective: Glaucoma is the second popular blinding disease worldwide, and is mainly caused by abnormal function or structure of trabecular meshwork and consequent aqueous humor effluent dysfunction, ocular hypertension, leading to vision deficit. eNOS and CAV1 might be correlated with glaucoma onset. This study thus investigated their expression in trabecular meshwork cells and effects on glaucoma pathogenesis.

Patients and Methods: Trabecular meshwork tissues were collected during surgery from POAG patients, and eNOS/CAV1 gene expressions were analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western-Blot. eNOS and CAV1 genes were over-expressed in cultured HTMC cells, whose survival rate was analyzed by MTT assay, whilst cell free radicals clearance rate was analyzed by chemiluminescence method.

Results: HE staining revealed significant pigment deposition in trabecular meshwork of POAG patients compared to normal group, accompanied with stenosis of mesh. Expression levels of eNOS and CAV1 were significantly higher in POAG group (p<0.05 compared to healthy control group). In vitro overexpression of eNOS and CAV1 significantly suppressed cell survival rate and free radical clearance rate (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Trabecular meshwork cells in glaucoma patients showed elevated eNOS and CAV1 expression. Up-regulation of eNOS expression may suppress cell survival rate at cellular level, impaired ability to clear free radicals, eventually leading to cell or tissue damage.

Author(s): Yan Chen, Shudan Ge, Zhihui Lin, Zhihong Liu
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