Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Apr 13:2:23.
doi: 10.3389/fneur.2011.00023. eCollection 2011.

Neuroprotective effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Bat-Chen R Avraham-Lubin  1 , Olga Dratviman-Storobinsky, Shimrit Dadon-Bar El, Murat Hasanreisoglu, Nitza Goldenberg-Cohen
Affiliations

Neuroprotective effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Bat-Chen R Avraham-Lubin et al. Front Neurol. .

Abstract

The study investigated the therapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in a rodent model (rAION). rAION was laser-induced in one eye of 63 mice. The fellow (uninjured) eye served as an internal control. Thirty-three mice underwent two 90-min sessions of 100% oxygen (2 atm) treatment immediately following injury and one session daily thereafter for up to 14 days. The remaining mice were untreated. Retinas were harvested at different time points, and mRNA levels of various genes were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and histologic study. Untreated mice: day 1 post-rAION - SOD-1 (oxidative-stress-related) decreased to 82% of control (uninjured eye) levels (P < 0.05), Caspase-3 (proapoptotic) decreased to 89%, Bcl-xL mildly increased (117%; all NS); day 3 - HO-1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS; ischaemia-related) decreased to 74%, and Bcl-2-associated X protein, Caspase-3, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2; apoptotic) increased by 170, 120, and 111%, respectively (all NS); day21 - HO-1 increased to 222% (NS) and eNOS decreased to 48% (P < 0.05). Treated mice: day 1 - SOD-1 and Caspase-3 remained unchanged, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL mildly increased (112 and 126% respectively); day 3 - HO-1 and eNOS increased, apoptosis-related gene decreased; day 21 - SOD-1 decreased whereas eNOS increased (P < 0.05), and HO-1 increased to a lesser degree than without treatment. None of the oxygen-treated animals had retinal ganglion cell loss or a decrease in Thy-1 expression. In conclusion, HBO treatment after rAION induction influences the expression of apoptosis-related genes as well as oxidative-stress-induced and ischaemia-related genes and may exert a neuroprotective effect.

Keywords: hyperbaric oxygen therapy; mouse model; neuroprotection; rAION.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hyperbaric oxygen chamber designed for mice. The mice can be seen through the windows during treatment.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Retinal ganglion cells apoptosis 3 days after rAION induction. (A) Untreated eye after rAION induction. Note the TUNEL-positive cells (red) mainly in the RGC layer. (B) HBO-treated rAION. Note the minimal apoptosis compared to [(A) ×40]. (C) Uninjured eye; no apoptosis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Retinal ganglion cells loss following rAION induction. (A) Untreated eye 21 days after rAION induction. Note the RGC loss (arrows). (B) HBO-treated eye. Note the absence of RGC loss (×40). (C) Uninjured eye (H&E).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adachi M., Takahashi K., Nishikawa M., Miki H., Uyama M. (1996). High intraocular pressure-induced ischaemia and reperfusion injury in the optic nerve and retina in rats. Graefes Arch. Clin. Exp. Ophthalmol. 234, 445–451 - PubMed
    1. Arai-Gaun S., Katai N., Kikuchi T., Kurokawa T., Ohta K., Yoshimura N. (2004). Heme oxygenase-1 induced in muller cells plays a protective role in retinal ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 45, 4226–4232 - PubMed
    1. Arnold A. C., Levin L. A. (2002). Treatment of ischemic optic neuropathy. Semin. Ophthalmol. 17, 39–46 - PubMed
    1. Asano T., Kaneko E., Shinozaki S., Imai Y., Shibayama M., Chiba T., Ai M., Kawakami A., Asaoka H., Nakayama T., Mano Y., Shimokado K. (2007). Hyperbaric oxygen induces basic fibroblast growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor expression, and enhances blood perfusion and muscle regeneration in mouse ischemic hind limbs. Circ. J. 71, 405–411 - PubMed
    1. Barach P. (2000). Management of the critically ill patient in the hyperbaric chamber. Int. Anesthesiol. Clin. 38, 153–166 - PubMed