Gene expression changes under cyclic mechanical stretch in rat retinal Muller cells

The retina is often subjected to tractional forces in a variety of conditions, for instance, pathological myopia, proliferative vitreoretinopathy. As the predominant glial element in the sensory retina, Muller cells are responsible for the homeostatic and metabolic support of retinal neurons and active players in virtually all forms of retinal injury and disease. Besides, Muller cells span the entire retinal thickness, extending from the inner to the outer limiting membranes, with cell bodies located in the inner nuclear layer and lateral processes expanding into the plexiform layers of the tissue. Because of this unique morphology, Muller cells can sense even minute changes in the retinal structure because of the mechanical stretching of their long processes or side branches. Thus, its reasonable to infer that Muller cells also participate in ocular diseases when the retina is overstretched. In this study, we aim to investigate the whole genome regulation of Muller cells under mechanical stretching, which may help in excluding possible molecular mechanisms that would account for many retinal diseases in which the retina is often subjected to mechanical forces.

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Wang X, Fan J, Zhang M, Sun Z, Xu G