Increased inflammation in older high-pressure glaucoma mice

Besides an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), advanced age is one of the most crucial risk factors for developing glaucoma. (3B1-Connective Tissue Growth Factor ((3B1-CTGF) high-pressure glaucoma mice were used in this study to assess whether glaucoma mice display more inflammatory and aging processes than age-matched controls. Therefore, 20-month-old (3B1-CTGF and corresponding wildtype (WT) controls were examined. After IOP measurements, retinas were processed for (immuno-)histological and quantitative real-time PCR analyses. A significantly higher IOP and diminished retinal ganglion cell numbers were noted in (3B1-CTGF mice compared to WT. An enhanced macrogliosis as well as an increased number of microglia/macrophages and microglia was detected in retinas of old glaucoma mice. Interleukin (IL)-1(3, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-a, and transforming growth factor-(32 were upregulated, suggesting an ongoing inflammation. Moreover, (3B1-CTGF retinas displayed an increased senescence-associated (3-galactosidase staining accompanied by a downregulation of Lmnb1 (laminin-B1) mRNA levels. Our results provide a deeper insight into the association between inflammation and highpressure glaucoma and thus might help to develop new therapy strategies.