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Melanopsin-Expressing Retinal Ganglion Cells In Control Vs. Glaucomatous Retinas, Edward Hamad

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Glaucoma is a common cause of vision loss worldwide and has a large scope of symptoms, ranging from pupillary reflex defects to sleep disorders. These issues can be explained partially by a recently found subtype of retinal ganglion cells that express melanopsin, denoted melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells or mRGCs for short. These cells function primarily as photoreceptors in the non-image forming pathway, but can receive input from rods and cones. Since mRGCs play a role in the pupillary reflex and regulation of the sleep-wake cycle, I investigated if glaucoma leads to the degeneration of these cells in a mouse model …

The Nerve Cells Of The Retina, Penina Winkler

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The visual pathway in the retina consists of a chain of different nerve cells. Light first travels through all the layers until it reaches the photoreceptor layer, the rod and cone layer. Rods and cones use photopigments, which contain opsin and a chromophore, to help them convert light into energy. This energy is then passed on to the horizontal and bipolar cells. Horizontal cells prevent the hyperpolarization of peripheral rods and cones if needed, and they receive color-coded signals from cones that they then continue along the optic pathway. Bipolar cells can be divided into rod bipolar cells and cone …

Acetylcholine Protection Of Adult Pig Retinal Ganglion Cells From Glutamate-Induced Excitotoxicity, Erica Wehrwein, Sean A. Thompson, Sylvie F. Coulibaly, David M. Linn, Cindy L. Linn

Peer Reviewed Articles

PURPOSE. To determine which glutamate receptor (GluR) subtypes are responsible for glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in cultured adult pig retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and to characterize the neuroprotective effect of acetylcholine (ACh) on pig RGCs.

METHODS. Adult pig RGCs were isolated from other retinal tissue by a modified panning technique using Thy 1.1 antibody. Isolated RGCs were cultured in control media and media containing: glutamate, NMDA, or KA; glutamate and CNQX, MK-801, or AP-7; ACh, nicotine or muscarine; ACh and α-bungarotoxin (Bgt) or methyllycaconitine (MLA); and glutamate and choline or glutamate, choline, and MLA. To determine cell viability, cells were …