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| Author(s): |
Kelly Cristina Saito
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI) |
| Defense date: | 2011-09-19 |
| Examining board members: |
Dania Emi Hamassaki;
Luiz Roberto Giorgetti de Britto;
Ana Maria de Lauro Castrucci;
Dora Selma Fix Ventura;
Chao Yun Irene Yan
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| Advisor: | Dania Emi Hamassaki; Marinilce Fagundes dos Santos |
| Abstract | |
Overactivation of NMDA receptors has been described to trigger neuronal death that occurs in diseases such as glaucoma. It is possible that the combination of subunits (NR2A-D) activate intracellular signaling pathways that result in death or survival. Our aim was to investigate the involvement of NR2 subunits and Rac1, a member of Rho GTPase family, in retinal neuronal death. Glutamate-induced neuronal death in vitro was reduced after Rac1 inhibition and by NR2B blocking, but not NR2C/D subunits. Similar results were obtained in vivo after NMDA intravitreous injection, although active Rac1 was mainly detected in Müller glia processes, and it was inhibited by NR2B blockade. In addition, TNF-<font face=\"Symbol\">α level after NMDA injection were reduced by NR2B blocking and Rac1. Thus, our results suggest that excitotoxicity via NR2B/NMDA receptors activate Rac1 in Müller glia cells, which in turn controls the TNF-<font face=\"Symbol\">α production that triggers retinal ganglion cell death. (AU) | |