Abstract
· Background: The morphology of retinal transplants is believed to depend on the extent of mechanical disruption of the donor tissue during the surgical procedure and on local factors of the host environment. We hypothesized that oxidative stress during donor tissue preparation and implantation further affects transplant development and investigated the effects of CuZn superoxide dismutase (SOD) overexpression on the survival and morphological development of mouse embryonic retinal transplants. · Methods: Retinae and livers from embryonic day 14–15 SOD overexpressing transgenic mice and CBA control mice were harvested under sterile conditions. In order to identify transgenic mouse embryos, the embryonic livers were analyzed via nondenaturing gel-electrophoresis for the presence of the human SOD protein. Neural retinae were transplanted as fragmented tissue into the subretinal space of albino BALB/c mice. At 4–8 weeks following transplantation, the grafted eyes were fixed in Bouin’s solution and processed for histological analysis. · Results: Both SOD transgenic and control retinal transplants had developed all retinal layers except for a ganglion cell layer and exhibited a similar extent of rosette formation. Computer-assisted, quantitative assessment of retinal graft volumes revealed a significant, around 58% increase in size of SOD transgenic transplants compared with controls. · Conclusions: Enhanced intracellular SOD levels do not seem to influence retinal transplant morphology as detected by light microscopy. However, volumes of the SOD trangenic transplants were found to be increased compared to control grafts.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 9 May 1997 Revised version received: 13 May 1998 Accepted: 17 June 1998
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Grasbon, T., Grasbon-Frodl, E., Juliusson, B. et al. CuZn superoxide dismutase transgenic retinal transplants. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 237, 336–341 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004170050241
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004170050241