| First Author | Sakai Y | Year | 2009 |
| Journal | Neurosci Res | Volume | 65 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 319-25 |
| PubMed ID | 19698752 | Mgi Jnum | J:157323 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:4430662 | Doi | 10.1016/j.neures.2009.08.008 |
| Citation | Sakai Y, et al. (2009) Cyclooxygenase-2 plays a critical role in retinal ganglion cell death after transient ischemia: real-time monitoring of RGC survival using Thy-1-EGFP transgenic mice. Neurosci Res 65(4):319-25 |
| abstractText | The exact role of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in vivo following ischemia-reperfusion injury of the retina was unknown. We made transgenic mice in which the Thy-1.2 promoter drives the expression of EGFP cDNA (Thy-1-EGFP) in RGCs to monitor RGC survival and death in retinal whole mount preparations and in live animals. We show that celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, blocks RGC death after ischemic injury. Furthermore, in COX-2 knockout (COX-2(-/-)) mice, RGCs are resistant to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Finally, we performed time-lapse monitoring of RGC death after ischemia in Thy-1-EGFP; COX-2(-/-) mice. Our data show that COX-2 plays a crucial role in ischemia-reperfusion injury-induced RGC death. Inhibition of COX-2 activity may therefore be an effective therapy for neurodegenerative diseases of the retina and optic nerve. |
