In the previous funding periods, a circuit controlling choroidal blood flow in pigeons via the Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWN) and ciliary ganglion (CG) was described. Light-mediated regulation of choroidal blood flow, a role for nitric oxide (NO) released by CG fibers, and the importance of parasympathetic neural control of choroidal blood flow were shown. These mechanisms will be further examined in pigeons, while additional studies will be performed in rabbits to test whether these observations are extendible into a mammalian eye. A major hypothesis to be tested is that NO is responsible for choroidal vasodilatation during high frequency activation (through the postganglionic parasympathetic terminals of the choroid) and that basal activation is under control of cholinergic endothelial-dependent NO. In rabbits and pigeons, immunolabeling will be used to identify the inputs to the facial nucleus preganglionic parasympathetic neurons controlling choroidal blood flow via the pterygopalatine ganglion (PPG) and laser doppler will be used in conjunction with inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to evaluate the roles of different isoforms of NOS in choroidal vasodilatation mediated by the PPG. The role of the EWN-CG circuit in control of choroidal blood flow will be investigated in rabbits. The role of vasointestinal peptide (VIP) in PPG-mediated choroidal blood flow dilatation via NO will be explored. Finally, the role of muscarinic receptors and endothelial NO in choroidal vasodilatation via CG will be examined. It will be determined if disruption of neural control of choroidal blood flow by EWN lesions results in retinopathy when combined with transient ischemia of the eye. These studies will provide additional knowledge of the neural control of choroidal blood flow. Abnormalities of this controlling system may be associated with retinal damage in diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, myopia, and senile macular disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY005298-17
Application #
6125174
Study Section
Visual Sciences C Study Section (VISC)
Program Officer
Dudley, Peter A
Project Start
1984-12-01
Project End
2001-11-30
Budget Start
1999-12-01
Budget End
2000-11-30
Support Year
17
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$212,426
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Department
Anatomy/Cell Biology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
941884009
City
Memphis
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
38163
Reiner, Anton; Fitzgerald, Malinda E C; Del Mar, Nobel et al. (2018) Neural control of choroidal blood flow. Prog Retin Eye Res 64:96-130
Li, Chunyan; Fitzgerald, Malinda E C; Del Mar, Nobel et al. (2018) Defective Choroidal Blood Flow Baroregulation and Retinal Dysfunction and Pathology Following Sympathetic Denervation of Choroid. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 59:5032-5044
Li, Chunyan; Fitzgerald, Malinda E C; Del Mar, Nobel et al. (2016) Disinhibition of neurons of the nucleus of solitary tract that project to the superior salivatory nucleus causes choroidal vasodilation: Implications for mechanisms underlying choroidal baroregulation. Neurosci Lett 633:106-111
Li, Chunyan; Fitzgerald, Malinda E C; Del Mar, Nobel et al. (2015) The identification and neurochemical characterization of central neurons that target parasympathetic preganglionic neurons involved in the regulation of choroidal blood flow in the rat eye using pseudorabies virus, immunolabeling and conventional pathway Front Neuroanat 9:65
Reiner, Anton; Heldt, Scott A; Presley, Chaela S et al. (2015) Motor, visual and emotional deficits in mice after closed-head mild traumatic brain injury are alleviated by the novel CB2 inverse agonist SMM-189. Int J Mol Sci 16:758-87
Toledo, Claudio A B; Reiner, Anton; Patel, Reena S et al. (2011) Immunohistochemical localization of AMPA-type glutamate receptor subunits in the nucleus of the Edinger-Westphal in embryonic chick. Neurosci Lett 498:199-203
Reiner, Anton; Del Mar, Nobel; Zagvazdin, Yuri et al. (2011) Age-related impairment in choroidal blood flow compensation for arterial blood pressure fluctuation in pigeons. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 52:7238-47
Kozicz, Tamás; Bittencourt, Jackson C; May, Paul J et al. (2011) The Edinger-Westphal nucleus: a historical, structural, and functional perspective on a dichotomous terminology. J Comp Neurol 519:1413-34
Reiner, Anton; Li, Chunyan; Del Mar, Nobel et al. (2010) Choroidal blood flow compensation in rats for arterial blood pressure decreases is neuronal nitric oxide-dependent but compensation for arterial blood pressure increases is not. Exp Eye Res 90:734-41
Li, Chunyan; Fitzgerald, Malinda E C; Ledoux, Mark S et al. (2010) Projections from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and the nucleus of the solitary tract to prechoroidal neurons in the superior salivatory nucleus: Pathways controlling rodent choroidal blood flow. Brain Res 1358:123-39

Showing the most recent 10 out of 33 publications