• Refine Query
  • Source
  • Publication year
  • to
  • Language
  • 1
  • Tagged with
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

Examining Postnatal Retinal Thickness and Retinal Ganglion Cell Count in the Ts65Dn Mouse Model of Down Syndrome

Folz, Andrew 05 1900 (has links)
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic condition caused by the triplication of human chromosome 21 and presents with many phenotypes including decreased brain size, hypocellularity in the brain, and assorted ocular phenotypes. Some of the ocular phenotypes seen are increased risk of cataracts, accommodation difficulties, increased risk of refractive errors, and increased retinal thickness. The Ts65Dn mouse model of DS is a classically used mouse model as it presents a number of phenotypes also seen in those with DS. Some of these phenotypes include decreased brain volume, abnormal synaptic plasticity, and ocular phenotypes. These ocular phenotypes include decreased visual acuity, cataracts, and increased retinal thickness. The Ts65Dn mouse model is trisomic for Dyrk1a, a gene of interest in DS research. We hypothesize that there will be a genotypic and sex effect of retinal thickness and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) count at postnatal day 15 in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS. Retinal slices were taken from male and female trisomic and euploid Ts65Dn mice at P15 and fluorescently labeled for RGCs and bipolar cells via immunohistochemistry. The retinas were measured for total retinal thickness and RNA-binding protein (RBPMS) positive cells in the RGC layer were counted. There was no genotypic or sex effect when comparing retinal thickness in trisomic mice as compared to euploid mice. There was a genotypic effect of RBPMS positive cell count in which the trisomic mice had a higher number of RBPMS positive cells than euploid mice. Increased retinal thickness along with increased RGC number have both been implicated with decreased apoptosis in the retina. In the Ts65Dn mouse model along with in individuals with DS, this could be due to an increase in DYRK1A protein levels reducing apoptosis. In future studies, determining DYRK1A’s influence in retinal thickness and RGC number could result in a treatment for overactive DYRK1A that could normalize retinal thickness and RGC number in those with DS.

Page generated in 0.0727 seconds