Effects of intravitreal injection of siRNA against caspase-2 on retinal and optic nerve degeneration in air blast induced ocular trauma.
Thomas, Chloe N Bernardo-Colón, Alexandra Courtie, Ella Essex, Gareth Rex, Tonia S Blanch, Richard J Ahmed, Zubair
Thomas, Chloe N
Bernardo-Colón, Alexandra
Courtie, Ella
Essex, Gareth
Rex, Tonia S
Blanch, Richard J
Ahmed, Zubair
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2021-08-19
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Abstract
Ocular repeated air blast injuries occur from low overpressure blast wave exposure, which are often repeated and in quick succession. We have shown that caspase-2 caused the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) after blunt ocular trauma. Here, we investigated if caspase-2 also mediates RGC apoptosis in a mouse model of air blast induced indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (b-ITON). C57BL/6 mice were exposed to repeated blasts of overpressure air (3 × 2 × 15 psi) and intravitreal injections of siRNA against caspase-2 (siCASP2) or against a control enhanced green fluorescent protein (siEGFP) at either 5 h after the first 2 × 15 psi ("post-blast") or 48 h before the first blast exposure ("pre-blast") and repeated every 7 days. RGC counts were unaffected by the b-ITON or intravitreal injections, despite increased degenerating ON axons, even in siCASP2 "post-blast" injection groups. Degenerating ON axons remained at sham levels after b-ITON and intravitreal siCASP2 "pre-blast" injections, but with less degenerating axons in siCASP2 compared to siEGFP-treated eyes. Intravitreal injections "post-blast" caused greater vitreous inflammation, potentiated by siCASP2, with less in "pre-blast" injected eyes, which was abrogated by siCASP2. We conclude that intravitreal injection timing after ocular trauma induced variable retinal and ON pathology, undermining our candidate neuroprotective therapy, siCASP2.
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Thomas CN, Bernardo-Colón A, Courtie E, Essex G, Rex TS, Blanch RJ, Ahmed Z. Effects of intravitreal injection of siRNA against caspase-2 on retinal and optic nerve degeneration in air blast induced ocular trauma. Sci Rep. 2021 Aug 19;11(1):16839. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-96107-y
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