PMID- 16454354 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20060307 LR - 20190608 IS - 0963-6897 (Print) IS - 0963-6897 (Linking) VI - 14 IP - 10 DP - 2005 TI - Protection of photoreceptor cells from phototoxicity by transplanted retinal pigment epithelial cells expressing different neurotrophic factors. PG - 799-808 AB - Transplantation of cells or tissues and the intravitreal injection of neurotrophic factors are two methods that have been used to treat retinal diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of combining both methods: the transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells expressing different neurotrophic factors. The neutrophic factors were Axokine, brain derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The enhanced green fluorescence protein (eGFP) gene was used as a reporter gene. These genes were transduced into RPE cells by lipofection, selected by antibiotics, and transplanted into the subretinal space of 108 rats. The rats were examined at 1 week and 3 months after the transplantation to determine whether the transduced cells were present, were expressing the protein, and were able to protect photoreceptors against phototoxicity. The survival of the transplanted cells was monitored by the presence of eGFP. The degree of protection was determined by the thickness of the outer nuclear layer. Our results showed that the degree of photoreceptor protection was different for the different types of neurotrophic factors at 1 week. After 3 months, the number of surviving transplanted cell was markedly reduced, and protection was observed only with the BDNF-transduced RPE cells. A significant degree of rescue was also observed by BDNF-transduced RPE cells in the nontransplanted area of the retina at both the early and late times. Lymphocytic infiltration was not detected in the vitreous, retina, and choroid at any time. We conclude that the transplantation of BDNF-transduced RPE cells can reduce the photoreceptor damage induced by phototoxicity in the transplanted area and weakly in the nontransplanted area. FAU - Abe, Toshiaki AU - Abe T AD - Division of Clinical Cell Therapy, School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. toshi@oph.med.tohoku.ac.jp FAU - Saigo, Yoko AU - Saigo Y FAU - Hojo, Masayoshi AU - Hojo M FAU - Kano, Tetsuya AU - Kano T FAU - Wakusawa, Ryosuke AU - Wakusawa R FAU - Tokita, Yumi AU - Tokita Y FAU - Tamai, Makoto AU - Tamai M LA - eng PT - Journal Article PL - United States TA - Cell Transplant JT - Cell transplantation JID - 9208854 RN - 0 (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) RN - 0 (Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor) RN - 0 (Nerve Growth Factors) RN - 103107-01-3 (Fibroblast Growth Factor 2) RN - 147336-22-9 (Green Fluorescent Proteins) RN - A3VLQ7024W (axokine) SB - IM MH - Animals MH - Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/biosynthesis/genetics/physiology MH - Cell Survival MH - *Cell Transplantation MH - Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor/biosynthesis/genetics/physiology MH - Dermatitis, Phototoxic/pathology/physiopathology/*prevention & control MH - Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/biosynthesis/genetics/physiology MH - Gene Expression Regulation MH - Genes, Reporter MH - Green Fluorescent Proteins/analysis/genetics MH - Light/*adverse effects MH - Nerve Growth Factors/*biosynthesis/genetics/physiology MH - Pigment Epithelium of Eye/chemistry/*cytology/metabolism/*transplantation MH - Rats MH - Rats, Long-Evans MH - Rats, Sprague-Dawley MH - Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells/cytology/*physiology MH - Transduction, Genetic EDAT- 2006/02/04 09:00 MHDA- 2006/03/08 09:00 CRDT- 2006/02/04 09:00 PHST- 2006/02/04 09:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2006/03/08 09:00 [medline] PHST- 2006/02/04 09:00 [entrez] AID - 10.3727/000000005783982549 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Cell Transplant. 2005;14(10):799-808. doi: 10.3727/000000005783982549.