Neuroinflammation is defined as inflammation that occurs in the central nervous system (CNS) and is characterized by cytokine release and glial reactivity. Previous efforts indicate that neuroinflammation is involved in many facets of the CNS, including development, homeostatic maintenance, and degeneration in response to injury and disease. Elucidating how specific cytokines are involved in these facets is important for the development of new therapies as well as expanding our knowledge of how the CNS develops, functions, and responds to stress. Using the optic projection as a model of the CNS, this thesis investigates how the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6): 1) contributes to the constitutive development and function of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and 2) impacts degeneration of RGCs in response to glaucoma-related stressors (i.e. ocular hypertension). Our data indicate that IL-6 signaling is necessary for proper development and function of RGC axons, yet facilitates axon degeneration and vision loss in response to ocular hypertension. The apparent switch of IL-6 from a constructive signal to a destructive signal correlates with elevations in the soluble isoform of the IL-6 receptor (sIL-6Rα), an isoform that is linked to degeneration within and outside the CNS.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-05242017-183604 |
| Date | 30 May 2017 |
| Creators | Echevarria, Franklin Daniel |
| Contributors | Rebecca Sappington, David Calkins, Fiona Harrison, Alissa Weaver, Christine Konradi |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-05242017-183604/ |
| Rights | restrictone, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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