Altered membrane physiology in Müller glial cells after transient ischemia of the rat retina

Thomas Pannicke, Ortrud Uckermann, Ianors Iandiev, Bernd Biedermann, Peter Wiedemann, Ido Perlman, Andreas Reichenbach, Andreas Bringmann

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels have been implicated in the mediation of retinal K+ homeostasis by Müller glial cells. To assess possible involvement of altered glial K+ channel expression in ischemia-reperfusion injury, transient retinal ischemia was induced in rat eyes. Acutely isolated Müller cells from postischemic retinae displayed a fast downregulation of their Kir currents, which began within 1 day and reached a maximum at 3 days of reperfusion, with a peak decrease to 20% as compared with control. This strong decrease of Kir currents was accompanied by an increase of the incidence of cells which displayed depolarization-evoked fast transient (A-type) K+ currents. While no cell from untreated control rats expressed A-type K+ currents, all cells investigated from 3- and 7-day postischemic retinae displayed such currents. An increased incidence of cells displaying fast transient Na+ currents was observed at 7 days after ischemia. These results suggest a role of altered glial Kir channel expression in postischemic neuronal degeneration via disturbance of retinal K+ Siphoning.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-11
Number of pages11
JournalGLIA
Volume50
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Apr 2005

Keywords

  • Glia
  • Inwardly rectifying potassium channel
  • Ischemia-reperfusion
  • Müller cell
  • Retina

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neurology
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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