Experimental Study On The Expression Of Cx43 Protein In Normal Cat Ciliary Body And Traumatic APVR Hypotony Model

ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of Gap Junction(GJ) protein Connexin43(Cx43) in normal cat ciliary body(CB) and its corresponding changes in location and quantity in traumatic anterior proliferateive vitreoretinopathy (aPVR) model at different time points and under different intraocular pressure (IOP) ; further to analyze the relationship between the varying tendency of â–³IOP and Cx43 expression quantity. Thus, to inquire into the significance of GJ formed by Cx43s on aqueous secretion of ciliary body.Methods1. The chronic hypotony model after traumatic aPVR which had been reported was duplicated in cats and pathological section and HE staining observations were made. Schiotz tonometer was used to measure IOP of healthy and traumatic cat eye balls at different time points with pair readings of two weights for rectifying, and then the tendency of â–³IOP in changing was analyzed.2. With fluo-immnohistochemistry technique and through fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) separately, the existence and expression pattern of Cx43 in normal cat CB were explored, and on this basis the changes of its location at different time points after trauma were observed.3. By western-blotting technique the expression contents of Cx43 protein were checked in cat CBs of normal group and 6h, 12h, 24h, 3d,1w, 2w, 4w after trauma in the experimental group; the data and alteration tendency were compared and analyzed.Results1. Changes of IOP: IOP slightly increased both at 6h and 12h; at 1d, IOP of experimental group rose to 1.875mmHg (â–³IOP>0) ; and then, IOP gradually declined, the magnitude of which was relatively huge from 1d to 3d and from lw to 4w; while 4w, â–³IOP amounted to 10.55 mmHg (â–³IOP<0) .2. There are differences between cat and human in PE and NPE cells of ciliary epithelium; in cat, PE cell is cubelike and NPE cell is quadrate.3. Cx43 expression in normal cat CBs: This experiment testified that the Cx43 protein was expressed in cat CBs too and found it was located at PE-NPE interface between the bi-epithelium and none existed in the structures outside CB epithetlium.4. Location changes of Cx43 expression in experimental group: There's no change at 6h and 12h after trauma. While Cx43 labeled GJ appeared between PE cells as an addition to PE-NPE interface at 24h, and the same is with 3d. On all bases which had happened, Cx43 proteins occurred between NPE cells as well at lw time point. Then Cx43s within PE and NPE layers individually disappeared and got back to be negative at 2w and 4w.5. Content changes of Cx43 expression in experimental group: the changes of Cx43 content showed bi-wave curve. At 1d, it increased as double as it of normal group; at lw, it tripled or so and then slowly dropped; at 2w, it got back to the normal level almost, and become the minimum till 4w.6. There is periodical correlation between â–³IOP and Cx43...