Project description:Analysis of progenitor cells of P0 rats overexpressing Krüppel-like factor 4 (Klf4). Klf4 is a key transcriptional regulator of differentiation potential. Results provide insight into the role of Klf4 in the retina.
Project description:Atheroprotective flow (e.g., pulsatile shear stress) and statins drastically induce the expression of krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) in vascular endothelial cells (ECs). We therefore investigated the role of KLF4 in EC function through comparing the transciptional profiling of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) that were infected with adenovirus overexpression KLF4 (Ad-KLF4) or with empty vector (Ad-null) control. Gene ontology analysis revealed that KLF4 not only regulates EC homeostasis through the upregulation of nitric oxide synthesis and vascular development, but also mediates response to lipid. Among the lipid responsive genes, KLF4 exhibited induction of cholesterol efflux and oxidation [i.e., liver X receptor (LXR) and cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (Ch25h)], while suppressing cholesterol biosynthesis [i.e., sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2)].
Project description:Recently we reported that the rat inner retina undergoes significant functional changes during maturation. Aiming to gain knowledge on additional aspects of retinal development and maturation, we used the microarray system to monitor gene expression patterns in the rat retina at ages 5, 11, and 20 weeks. The analysis revealed the expression of many well-documented retinal genes as well as a high number of non–annotated genes. Quantitative realtime PCR analysis verified the microarray results in the majority of studied genes. A statistical analysis of the 4 microarray slides revealed 603 differentially expressed genes which were grouped into 6 expression clusters. A bioinformatic analysis of these clusters revealed sets of genes encoding proteins with functions that are likely to be relevant to inner retinal function (e.g. potassium, sodium, calcium, and chloride channels, synaptic vesicle transport, and axonogenesis). In addition, we performed a histological analysis of the maturing retina and studied different aspects of retinal structure. The analysis revealed a significant reduction of outer nuclear layer thickness between 11 and 19 weeks of age and a significant reduction of retinal ganglion cell number at 11 and 19 weeks comparing to 5 weeks. We identified in this study genes with differential expression pattern during retinal maturation. Some of the genes encode proteins that may be involved in the functional maturation of inner retinal cells. These data, taken together with our histological and electrophysiological data, contribute to our understanding of the developmental processes occurring in the retina of this widely-used animal model. Keywords: Dye-swap, Ganglion cells, Gene, Gene expression, Histology, Inner retina, Maturation, Microarray, Rat, Retina, Vision.
Project description:The mineralocorticoid receptor is expressed in the rat and human retina. We previously showed that intravitreal injection of aldosterone in rat eyes induced retinal œdème and choroidal vasodilation and permeability through regulation of ion/water channels (Zhao et al. Faseb J, 2009; Zhao et al. J Clin Invest 2012). Illicit activation of MR induces inflammation, oxidative stress and tissue remodeling in cardiovascular and renal diseases independent of hypertension. We performed a full transcriptomic study destinated to identify genes regulated by aldosterone in the whole retina of rat.
Project description:Recently we reported that the rat inner retina undergoes significant functional changes during maturation. Aiming to gain knowledge on additional aspects of retinal development and maturation, we used the microarray system to monitor gene expression patterns in the rat retina at ages 5, 11, and 20 weeks. The analysis revealed the expression of many well-documented retinal genes as well as a high number of nonâ??annotated genes. Quantitative realtime PCR analysis verified the microarray results in the majority of studied genes. A statistical analysis of the 4 microarray slides revealed 603 differentially expressed genes which were grouped into 6 expression clusters. A bioinformatic analysis of these clusters revealed sets of genes encoding proteins with functions that are likely to be relevant to inner retinal function (e.g. potassium, sodium, calcium, and chloride channels, synaptic vesicle transport, and axonogenesis). In addition, we performed a histological analysis of the maturing retina and studied different aspects of retinal structure. The analysis revealed a significant reduction of outer nuclear layer thickness between 11 and 19 weeks of age and a significant reduction of retinal ganglion cell number at 11 and 19 weeks comparing to 5 weeks. We identified in this study genes with differential expression pattern during retinal maturation. Some of the genes encode proteins that may be involved in the functional maturation of inner retinal cells. These data, taken together with our histological and electrophysiological data, contribute to our understanding of the developmental processes occurring in the retina of this widely-used animal model. Experiment Overall Design: Rat retinal samples at ages 5, 11, and 20 weeks were studied using 4 microarray slides in a dye-swap design: 5-11, 11-5, 5-20, and 20-5.
Project description:The purpose of the present study was to investigate time-dependent changes in the expression profile of miRNAs, following induction of IR in the rat retina, and to characterize the affected pathways, networks and processes.