J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2001 Feb;42(2):365-372.

Activation of Caspase-3 During Photoreceptor Degeneration in rd Mouse Retina

• Kim DH
• Kim JA
• Joo CK

Abstract

Retinal degeneration caused by a hereditary defect in the genome is reported in a few animals and it leads to blindness. rd mouse is one of the well studied animal models for retinal degeneration. The retinal degeneration of rd mouse is caused by a mutation on cGMP-phosphodiesterase(PDE). Caspase activation has been implicated for apoptosis. In this study, we examined the activation of caspase-3 during photoreceptor degeneration in rdmouse. Photoreceptor degeneration of rd mouse occured at PD 9 and disappeared at PD 21.In addition, we observed the active form of caspase-3 in the retinal degeneration of rd mouse. In conclusion, the cell death pattern of photoreceptor degeneration in rd mouse seemed to be an apoptosis rather than necrosis.

Keyword

Apoptosis; Caspase-3; cGMP-phosphodiesterase(PDE); rdmouse(FVB/N); Retinal degeneration

MeSH Terms

Animals
Apoptosis
Blindness
Caspase 3*
Cell Death
Genome
Mice*
Models, Animal
Necrosis
Retina*
Retinal Degeneration
Caspase 3