Characterization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in glaucomatous mice

• Grant number: 22/07969-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: September 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Maria Nathália de Carvalho Magalhães Moraes Figueira Borges
• Grantee: Pietra Souza Barsanele
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Diadema. Diadema , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/26651-9 - Glaucoma as a model of temporal information disruption: impact on the metabolism, AP.JP

Abstract

Glaucoma is characterized by progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) and damage to the optic nerve, with increased intraocular pressure (IOP) one of the risk factors for the disease development. In addition to the connection with visual processing, RGCs project to the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), responsible for generating and synchronizing biological rhythms to the light-dark cycle (CE), such as body temperature rhythms, locomotor activity, eating behavior and hormonal secretions. We demonstrate that animals in advanced stages of glaucoma show changes in the rhythm of spontaneous locomotor activity and internal body temperature. In addition, humans with glaucoma have sleep disorders and changes in the circadian rhythm of body temperature and blood cortisol concentrations. Considering that glucocorticoid secretion presents an endogenous circadian rhythm mediated by the SCN, this study aims to evaluate the impact of glaucoma-induced rhythmic changes on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). For this, we will use an animal model that spontaneously develops glaucoma and we will evaluate the molecular components (gene and protein expression) of the HPA axis in glaucomatous (DBA/2J) and healthy (DBA/2J GPNMB+) animals.