Metabolic stress in the form of hypoglycemia has deleterious effects on vision. My colleagues and I have found age-related losses of retinal and visual function in mice rendered hypoglycemic from a null mutation in the glucagon receptor gene, Gcgr. I hope to gain insight into the underlying mechanisms of this vision loss by attempting to modulate its time course in Gcgr -/- mice. I will attempt to delay and rescue the effects of chronic hypoglycemia on vision by examining various durations and timings of high carbohydrate diet and gene therapy treatment. Retinal function will be quantified via electroretinogram (ERG), visual function will be assessed using a novel optomotor behavioral technique (Optomotry? ) and retinal anatomy will be visualized using standard anatomical methods. This project has two aims:
Aim 1 : Attempt dietary rescue of retinal and visual function of metabolically stressed mice.
Aim 2 : Attempt rescue of retinal and visual function of metabolically stressed mice using gene therapy. Specific experiments will determine if there is a critical duration and/or timing of high carbohydrate diet or gene therapy treatment that will delay vision loss or restore vision in Gcgr-/- mice. Potential medical benefits include : (1) Identification of a metabolic stress factor in retinal and visual function (2) Use of innovative methods for measures of the retinal and visual function (3) Possible insights into causes of human late-onset retinal degeneration (4) Possible identification of a novel gene therapy for vision loss caused by metabolic stress

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32EY017246-03
Application #
7616530
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-F03B-L (20))
Program Officer
Neuhold, Lisa
Project Start
2007-03-15
Project End
2010-03-14
Budget Start
2009-03-15
Budget End
2010-03-14
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$53,354
Indirect Cost
Name
Upstate Medical University
Department
Ophthalmology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
058889106
City
Syracuse
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
13210
Umino, Yumiko; Cuenca, Nicolas; Everhart, Drew et al. (2012) Partial rescue of retinal function in chronically hypoglycemic mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 53:915-23
Pang, Ji-jing; Deng, Wen-Tao; Dai, Xufeng et al. (2012) AAV-mediated cone rescue in a naturally occurring mouse model of CNGA3-achromatopsia. PLoS One 7:e35250
Pang, Ji-jing; Dai, Xufeng; Boye, Shannon E et al. (2011) Long-term retinal function and structure rescue using capsid mutant AAV8 vector in the rd10 mouse, a model of recessive retinitis pigmentosa. Mol Ther 19:234-42
Pang, J; Boye, S E; Lei, B et al. (2010) Self-complementary AAV-mediated gene therapy restores cone function and prevents cone degeneration in two models of Rpe65 deficiency. Gene Ther 17:815-26
Everhart, Drew; Stachowiak, Ana; Umino, Yumiko et al. (2008) Loss of visual and retinal function in light-stressed mice. Adv Exp Med Biol 613:157-64
Elshatory, Yasser; Everhart, Drew; Deng, Min et al. (2007) Islet-1 controls the differentiation of retinal bipolar and cholinergic amacrine cells. J Neurosci 27:12707-20
Alexander, John J; Umino, Yumiko; Everhart, Drew et al. (2007) Restoration of cone vision in a mouse model of achromatopsia. Nat Med 13:685-7