Why Is a Zebrafish Model of NMDA-Induced Retinal Neurodegeneration Needed?

Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, is characterized pathologically by the progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons, leading to visual field defects and optic atrophy. N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) is thought to play a crucial role in glaucoma, and elevated concentrations of NDMA in the eye may cause loss of retinal ganglion cells. At present, the discovery of glaucoma drugs mainly focuses on the protection of optic nerves, and there are few researches and ideal animal models for the prevention of retinal ganglion cell death. The retinal degeneration model induced by NMDA vitreous injection is an ideal model for the study of retinal ganglion cell death in glaucoma. Compared with the traditional glaucoma model using genetic methods such as gene knockouts to affect the structure of the zebrafish eye, the NMDA-induced retinal neurodegeneration zebrafish model uses wild animal drug treatment to induce glaucoma-like phenotypes very rapidly in a large number of animals. Ideal for drug screening. This is mainly due to the slow and costly development of the zebrafish hereditary glaucoma model, which is not suitable for drug screening due to the large number of fish required and the slow time required for disease pathology, but there are many advantages to studying the underlying molecular mechanisms of related homologous genes and diseases.

Fig. 1. NMDA-induced alterations in retinal histology, thickness and retinal ganglion cell apoptosis. (Luo ZW, et al., 2019)

Service Overview

NMDA, an analog of L-glutamate, is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It induces cellular excitotoxicity and RGC loss, which induces glaucoma and retinal neurodegeneration.

Ace Therapeutics develop a model of NDMA-induced retinal neurodegeneration. This model, which resembles human glaucoma, helps our customers identify mechanisms underlying glaucomatous retinal neurodegeneration and provides significant value for drug screening activities and research. The main features are retinal ganglion cell apoptosis, thickening of the nerve fiber layer, and decreased eye thickness.

Explore Ace Therapeutics' Zebrafish Ocular Disease Models

In Ace Therapeutics' laboratory, our researchers induce retinal neurodegeneration in adult zebrafish by intravitreal injection of NMDA. In addition, to fully characterize the effect of intravitreal NMDA injection on the zebrafish retina and to accurately establish a glaucomatous zebrafish model for drug screening, our scientists used the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 treatment to evaluate the effect of protection on this retinal neuron. Endpoint judgments include, but are not limited to:

• Histology
• Inner retinal thickness
• Nerve fiber layer thickness
• Retinal ganglion cell layer thickness
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis of retinal ganglion cells

Zebrafish models of NMDA-induced retinal neurodegeneration are helpful in identifying mechanisms underlying glaucomatous retinal neurodegeneration. If you are interested in our services or need more detailed information, please feel free to contact us. Our experienced scientists are ready to help you!

References

1. Luo ZW, Wang HT, Wang N, et al. Establishment of an adult zebrafish model of retinal neurodegeneration induced by NMDA. Int J Ophthalmol. 2019, 12(8):1250-1261.
2. Sheng W, Lu Y, Mei F, et al. Effect of Resveratrol on Sirtuins, OPA1, and Fis1 Expression in Adult Zebrafish Retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018, 59(11):4542-4551.

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