Investigative ophthalmology & visual science
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Apr 2005
CNTF and BDNF have similar effects on retinal ganglion cell survival but differential effects on nitric oxide synthase expression soon after optic nerve injury.
To investigate the effect of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression in the retina during the early phase of optic nerve (ON) injury, and to examine whether intraperitoneal application of the NOS scavenger nitro-l-arginine (l-NA) could protect the injured RGCs. ⋯ Both CNTF and BDNF protected RGCs after ON injury. CNTF and BDNF acted differently on NOS expression in the GCL. Intraperitoneal injections of l-NA at appropriate dosages enhance RGC survival.