Connective tissue structure of the tree shrew optic nerve and associated ageing changes

Albon, Julie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3029-8245, Farrant, Sarah, Akhtar, Saeed, Young, Robert David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8300-8002, Boulton, Michael Edwin, Smith, Gillian Michelle, Taylor, Martin, Guggenheim, Jeremy Andrew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5164-340X and Morgan, James Edwards ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8920-1065 2007. Connective tissue structure of the tree shrew optic nerve and associated ageing changes. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 48 (5) , pp. 2134-2144. 10.1167/iovs.06-0084

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Abstract

purpose. To identify the structure and composition of the tree shrew optic nerve to determine its potential as a model for glaucoma. methods. Tree shrew optic nerves, aged 4 weeks to 5 years, were wax or cryoembedded for analysis of overall morphology and cellular (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP]) and extracellular matrix (collagen types I, III, IV, V, VI; fibronectin; and elastin) immunolocalization studies. In addition, transmission and scanning electron microscopy were performed. In vivo optic disc imaging was performed by HRT2 and fundus camera photography. results. The optic nerve of the tree shrew comprised regions comparable to the human prelaminar and lamina cribrosa (LC) in the optic nerve head and the retrolaminar region, immediately posterior. The multilayered connective tissue plates of tree shrew LC stretched across the optic nerve canal at the level of the sclera and consisted of collagen types I, III, IV, V, and VI; elastin; and fibronectin. Significant age-related alterations in connective tissue components were indicated. Connective tissue was present in the central retinal vessel sheaths and was identified as longitudinally oriented collagen fibrils in the retrolaminar optic nerve. GFAP immunofluorescence indicated a high concentration of astrocytic processes in the LC. Myelination of axons was evident in the retrolaminar optic nerve. Ultrastructural studies supported the structural organization and spatial distribution of connective tissue. conclusions. In contrast to many rodent models of glaucoma, since the tree shrew optic nerve resembles that in humans, especially at the LC, the tree shrew offers an ideal opportunity to investigate glaucoma pathophysiology in a subprimate model.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Optometry and Vision Sciences Systems Immunity Research Institute (SIURI)
Additional Information:	Confirmation received by publisher on 21 February 2014 that publisher's pdf can be self-archived 6 months after publication.
Publisher:	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
ISSN:	0146-0404
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	01 Mar 2024 07:46
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/845

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