gms | German Medical Science

102. Jahrestagung der DOG

Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft e. V.

23. bis 26.09.2004, Berlin

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Citicoline and/or lithium rescue retinal ganglion cells following calibrated partial optic nerve crush

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author R. Rejdak - Tadeusz Krwawicz Chair of Ophthalmology and 1st Eye Hospital, Medical University, Lublin, Poland; , Department of Pathophysiology of Vision and Neuro-Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital, Tübingen
  • F. Schüttauf - Department of Pathophysiology of Vision and Neuro-Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital, Tübingen
  • C. Lehaci - Department of Pathophysiology of Vision and Neuro-Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital, Tübingen
  • Z. Zagorski - Tadeusz Krwawicz Chair of Ophthalmology and 1st Eye Hospital, Medical University, Lublin, Poland
  • T. Zarnowski - Tadeusz Krwawicz Chair of Ophthalmology and 1st Eye Hospital, Medical University, Lublin, Poland
  • P. Grieb - Laboratory of Experimental Pharmacology, Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland
  • E. Zrenner - Department of Pathophysiology of Vision and Neuro-Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital, Tübingen

Evidenzbasierte Medizin - Anspruch und Wirklichkeit. 102. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft. Berlin, 23.-26.09.2004. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2004. Doc04dogP 087

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dog2004/04dog578.shtml

Published: September 22, 2004

© 2004 Rejdak et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

Text

Objective

Citicoline (cytidine-5'-diphosphocholine), a neuroprotectant effective in animal models of CNS ischemia and trauma, has been shown to prevent retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration in vitro. Lithium, a well-known mood stabilizer, has been found to promote RGC survival and axon regeneration.

Aim

To evaluate protection offered by citicoline sodium and/or lithium chloride systemic treatment in a model of calibrated partial optic nerve crush (PONC) in the rat.

Methods

Citicoline sodium (1 g/kg/day for 7 days and 300 mg/kg/day for subsequent 2 weeks) and/or lithium chloride (30 mg/kg/day over 3-week period) were given after induction of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) loss in a model of calibrated partial optic nerve crush (PONC) in the rat. RGCs retrogradely labeled with Fluorogold were counted; all data are expressed as percent of the RGC count performed in the corresponding SHAM-treated group.

Results

PONC resulted in a decrease in the number of labelled RGCs per square mm of retina to 44.8% after 7 days and to 28.0% after 3 weeks. Citicoline treatment attenuated this decrease to 70.1% and 53.4% respectively. Treatment with lithium chloride was more effective, 77.3% and 76.8% RGC's remained intact. Treatment with a combination of the doses of citicoline and lithium chloride mentioned above resulted in the labelling of 88.3% and 73.5% of RGC's.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that: 1. besides acute axotomy, PONC is followed by a delayed neurodegenerative process which further eliminates RGCs and/or disconnects them from superior colliculi; 2. treatment with both citicoline and lithium saves a significant number of RGCs connected to superior colliculi; 3. the possibility that these drugs act through different but complementary mechanisms (eg., neuroprotection and axonal regeneration) requires further studies.

Supported by the Marie Curie individual fellowship to Robert Rejdak (contract number: QLK2-CT-2002-51562)