Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

Myo/Nog cells play a pivotal role in ocular development and demonstrate a rapid response to stress and injury. This study investigates their behavior and distribution in a murine model of retinitis pigmentosa, specifically in C3H/HeJ mice, which exhibit photoreceptor degeneration due to a homozygous mutation in the Pde6brd1 gene. Retinal samples from C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J mice were analyzed at postnatal weeks 2.5 to 6 using hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunofluorescence for brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1 (BAI1) expressed in Myo/Nog cells, and TUNEL labeling for apoptotic cell detection. The results demonstrated a progressive thinning of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) in C3H mice, accompanied by a significant increase in Myo/Nog cell numbers. In normal retinas, Myo/Nog cells were primarily located in the inner nuclear and outer plexiform layers. However, in C3H/HeJ mice, they accumulated in the ONL near apoptotic photoreceptors and within the choroid. Notably, in these degenerative regions, Myo/Nog cells exhibited features of phagocytosis, suggesting a role in apoptotic cell clearance. Additionally, parallels between Myo/Nog cell responses in retinitis pigmentosa and models of oxygen-induced retinopathy, ocular hypertension, and light damage suggest that these cells may be leveraged for therapeutic purposes.

Publication Title

Applied Sciences (Switzerland)

Comments

This article was published in Applied Sciences (Switzerland).

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-78244-2_68.

Copyright © 2025 by the authors. CC BY 4.0.

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