Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, 6 west Derby Street, Liverpool, L69 8TX, UK.
Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, 6 west Derby Street, Liverpool, L69 8TX, UK; St Paul's Eye Unit, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, L7 8XP, UK.
Exp Eye Res. 2019 Dec;189:107820. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2019.107820. Epub 2019 Oct 4.
Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor for the development of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). This is from an increased aqueous humour (AH) outflow resistance through the trabecular meshwork (TM). The pathogenic mechanisms leading to the increase in TM outflow resistance are poorly understood but are thought to be from a dysregulation of the TM extracellular matrix (ECM) environment. ECM modification and turnover are crucial in regulating the resistance to aqueous outflow. ECM turnover is influenced by a complex interplay of growth factors such as transforming growth factors (TGFβ) family and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Elevated TGFβ2 levels result in an increase in ECM deposition such as fibronectin leading to increased resistance. Fibronectin is a major component of TM ECM and plays a key role in its maintenance. Thrombospondins (TSP)-1 and -2 are important regulators of the ECM environment. TSP-1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of POAG through activation of TGFβ2 within the TM. TSP-2 does not contain the catalytic domain to activate latent TGFβ, but is able to mediate the activities of MMP 2 and 9, thereby influencing ECM turnover. TSP-2 knock out mice show lower IOP levels compared to their wild type counterparts, suggesting the involvement of TSP-2 in the pathogenesis of POAG but its role in the pathogenesis of POAG remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of TSP-2 in trabecular meshwork ECM regulation and hence the pathogenesis of POAG. TSP-1 and TSP-2 expressions in immortalised glaucomatous TM cells (GTM3) and primary human non-glaucomatous (NTM) and glaucomatous cells (GTM) were determined by immunocytochemistry, immuno-blot analysis and qPCR following treatment with TGFβ2 and Dexamethasone. The level of ECM protein fibronectin was determined in TM cells using immuno-blot analysis following treatment with TSP-1 or -2. TM cells secrete TSP-1 and -2 under basal conditions at the protein level and TSP-2 mRNA and protein levels were increased in response to TGFβ2 three days post treatment. Exogenous treatment with TSP-2 up-regulated the expression of fibronectin protein in GTM3 cells, primary NTM and GTM cells. TSP-1 did not affect fibronectin protein levels in GTM3 cells. This suggests that the role of TSP-2 might be distinct from that of TSP-1 in the regulation of the TM cell ECM environment. TSP-2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of POAG and contribute to increased IOP levels by increasing the deposition of fibronectin within the ECM in response to TGFβ2.
眼压(IOP)升高是原发性开角型青光眼(POAG)发展的主要危险因素。这是由于房水(AH)通过小梁网(TM)的流出阻力增加所致。导致 TM 流出阻力增加的致病机制尚不清楚,但据认为是 TM 细胞外基质(ECM)环境的失调所致。ECM 的修饰和周转对于调节水流出阻力至关重要。ECM 周转受转化生长因子(TGFβ)家族和基质金属蛋白酶(MMPs)等生长因子的复杂相互作用影响。TGFβ2 水平升高会导致细胞外基质(ECM)沉积增加,如纤维连接蛋白,从而导致阻力增加。纤维连接蛋白是 TM ECM 的主要成分,对其维持起着关键作用。血小板反应蛋白(TSP)-1 和 -2 是 ECM 环境的重要调节剂。TSP-1 通过在 TM 中激活 TGFβ2 而被牵连到 POAG 的发病机制中。TSP-2 不含激活潜伏 TGFβ 的催化结构域,但能够介导 MMP2 和 MMP9 的活性,从而影响 ECM 周转。与野生型相比,TSP-2 敲除小鼠的眼压水平较低,这表明 TSP-2 参与了 POAG 的发病机制,但它在 POAG 发病机制中的作用仍不清楚。本研究旨在探讨 TSP-2 在小梁网 ECM 调节中的作用,从而探讨 POAG 的发病机制。通过免疫细胞化学、免疫印迹分析和 qPCR 检测转染 TGFβ2 和地塞米松后永生化青光眼 TM 细胞(GTM3)和原代人非青光眼(NTM)和青光眼细胞(GTM)中 TSP-1 和 TSP-2 的表达。用免疫印迹分析检测 TM 细胞在 TSP-1 或 -2 处理后细胞外基质蛋白纤维连接蛋白的水平。TM 细胞在基础条件下以蛋白质水平分泌 TSP-1 和 -2,并且在治疗后 3 天,TSP-2 的 mRNA 和蛋白质水平对 TGFβ2 反应增加。外源性 TSP-2 处理上调 GTM3 细胞、原代 NTM 和 GTM 细胞中纤维连接蛋白蛋白的表达。TSP-1 不会影响 GTM3 细胞中纤维连接蛋白蛋白的水平。这表明 TSP-2 的作用可能与 TSP-1 不同,在于调节 TM 细胞 ECM 环境。TSP-2 可能参与 POAG 的发病机制,并通过 TGFβ2 增加 ECM 中纤维连接蛋白的沉积来增加眼压水平。