TY - JOUR
T1 - Spatial and temporal recruitment of the neurovascular unit during development of the mouse blood-retinal barrier
AU - van der Wijk, Anne-Eva
AU - Vogels, Ilse M. C.
AU - van Veen, Henk A.
AU - van Noorden, Cornelis J. F.
AU - Schlingemann, Reinier O.
AU - Klaassen, Ingeborg
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - The inner blood-retinal barrier (BRB) is made up by the neurovascular unit, consisting of endothelial cells, pericytes and glial cells. The BRB maintains homeostasis of the neural retina, but in pathological eye conditions the neurovascular unit is often disrupted, causing BRB loss. Here, we investigated in detail temporal and spatial recruitment of the neurovascular unit in the neonatal mouse retina from postnatal day (P)3 to P25 employing immunohistochemical staining of vascular endothelium (isolectin B4), pericytes (α-SMA and NG2) and astrocytes (GFAP). In addition, we investigated gene expression of polarized astrocytic end-feet markers aquaporin-4 and laminin α2 chain with qPCR. We observed GFAP-positive cells migrating ahead of the retinal vasculature during the first postnatal week, suggesting that the retinal vasculature follows an astrocytic meshwork. From P9 onwards, astrocytes acquired a mature phenotype, with a more stellate shape and increased expression of aquaporin-4. NG2-positive cells and tip cells co-localized at P5 and invaded the retina together as a vascular sprouting front. In summary, these data suggest that recruitment of the cell types of the neurovascular unit is a prerequisite for proper retinal vascularization and BRB formation.
AB - The inner blood-retinal barrier (BRB) is made up by the neurovascular unit, consisting of endothelial cells, pericytes and glial cells. The BRB maintains homeostasis of the neural retina, but in pathological eye conditions the neurovascular unit is often disrupted, causing BRB loss. Here, we investigated in detail temporal and spatial recruitment of the neurovascular unit in the neonatal mouse retina from postnatal day (P)3 to P25 employing immunohistochemical staining of vascular endothelium (isolectin B4), pericytes (α-SMA and NG2) and astrocytes (GFAP). In addition, we investigated gene expression of polarized astrocytic end-feet markers aquaporin-4 and laminin α2 chain with qPCR. We observed GFAP-positive cells migrating ahead of the retinal vasculature during the first postnatal week, suggesting that the retinal vasculature follows an astrocytic meshwork. From P9 onwards, astrocytes acquired a mature phenotype, with a more stellate shape and increased expression of aquaporin-4. NG2-positive cells and tip cells co-localized at P5 and invaded the retina together as a vascular sprouting front. In summary, these data suggest that recruitment of the cell types of the neurovascular unit is a prerequisite for proper retinal vascularization and BRB formation.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85044765998&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29857827
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tice.2018.03.010
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tice.2018.03.010
M3 - Article
C2 - 29857827
SN - 0040-8166
VL - 52
SP - 42
EP - 50
JO - Tissue & Cell
JF - Tissue & Cell
ER -