TRABECULAR MESHWORK PROTEINS IN GLAUCOMA

青光眼是一组分子基础尚不清楚的眼部疾病的统称。 全球范围内的原发性开角型青光眼（POAG）是导致失明的主要原因之一，并且目前正在治疗中。 无法治愈POAG的显著症状是眼内压（IOP）升高和眼内昏迷 视神经病变通过滤过性小梁网（TM）的房水流出阻力增加 组织似乎在POAG的发病和进展中起关键作用。小梁水平阻塞 网状结构导致IOP升高。正常和恶性肿瘤TM的蛋白质组学和Western分析表明， 发现cochlin，一种功能未知的分泌蛋白，只存在于脑胶质瘤中，而不存在于 正常TM。随后，我们还通过免疫组织化学观察到了含有cochlin的沉积物， 昏迷TM。在人类耳蜗中，cochlin与耳蜗中的粘多糖沉积物有关。 进行性听觉功能障碍在TM中，cochlin和粘多糖的沉积可能会干扰 调节房水流出，并可能导致缓慢但进行性的IOP升高。我们延长 这些研究对小鼠进行，发现cochlin水平在青光眼的DBA/2 J模型中升高，但在青光眼的DBA/2 J模型中没有升高。 在对照动物中。本文提出的研究将使用小鼠模型来确定cochlin在IOP中的作用。 提升待检验的中心假设是细胞外基质中的cochlin沉积物阻碍了细胞的生长。 青光眼TM的房水外流，升高IOP，并有助于POAG的发病机制。很长的- 本项目的长期目标是建立cochlin参与IOP升高的机制， POAG的发病机制，并开发有效的治疗方法来预防疾病进展。我们 本研究的主要目的是：（1）确定cochlin的过表达是否 （2）确定缺乏cochlin的DBA/2 J小鼠是否维持正常的IOP;（3）确定缺乏cochlin的DBA/2 J小鼠是否维持正常的IOP;（4）确定缺乏cochlin的DBA/2 J小鼠是否维持正常的IOP。 测试cochlin信息下调是否导致DBA/2 J小鼠的正常IOP。方法将包括 眼内注射、IOP测量、病毒感染、眼内化学以及其它分子 和细胞生物学技术。

Glaucoma refers collectively to a group of eye diseases whose molecular basis is poorly understood. Worldwide primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is one of the leading causes of blindness and is currently incurable. Distinguishing symptoms of POAG are increased intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Increased resistance to aqueous outflow through the filtering trabecular meshwork (TM) tissue appears to play a key role in the onset and progression of POAG. Blockage at the level of trabecular meshwork leads to increased IOP. Proteomic and Western analyses of normal and glaucomatous TM have revealed cochlin, a secreted protein with unknown function, present exclusively in glaucomatous but not in normal TM. Subsequently we have also observed cochlin containing deposits by immunohistochemistry in glaucomatous TM. In the human cochlea, cochlin is associated with mucopolysaccharide deposits in progressive auditory dysfunction. In the TM, deposition of cochlin and mucopolysaccharides may interfere with regulation of aqueous outflow and may cause slow but progressive elevation of IOP. We have extended these studies to mice and found that cochlin levels were elevated in the DBA/2J model of glaucoma but not in control animals. The studies proposed here will use mouse models to determine the role of cochlin in IOP elevation. The central hypothesis to be tested is that cochlin deposits in the extracellular matrix obstruct aqueous outflow in glaucomatous TM, elevate IOP and contribute to the pathogenesis of POAG. The long- term goals of this project are to establish the mechanistic involvement of cochlin in IOP elevation and the pathogenesis of POAG, and to develop effective therapies for preventing disease progression. Our hypothesis will be tested with following specific aims: (1) To determine whether cochlin over-expression results in elevated IOP; (2) To determine whether DBA/2J mice lacking cochlin maintain normal IOP; (3) To test whether cochlin message down-regulation results in normal IOP in DBA/2J mouse. Methods will include intraocular injections, IOP measurements, viral infections, immunohistochemisty as well as other molecular and cell biological techniques.