Enhanced protein expressions of sortilin and p75NTR in retina of rat following elevated intraocular pressure-induced retinal ischemia

Elevated introcular pressure (IOP)-induced retinal neuron ischemic death includes an early phase of necrosis and prolonged phase of apoptosis. We used this ischemic model to observe the changes of sortilin and p75NTR protein expressions in rat retina. The results of Western blot analysis showed the expression of p75NTR at the band of 75 (mature form), 60 (non-glycosylated pieces) and 50 kDa (ectodomain shedding pieces), and the expression of sortilin at the 95 and 90 kDa (the mature form). The protein expressions of p75NTR (60 and 50 kDa pieces) and sortilin (90 kDa) increased significantly (p < 0.05) at days 3, 5 and 7 after retinal ischemia. This effect was also confirmed by immunofluorescence staining. Sortilin was primarily present in cell membrane of the ganglion cells layer (GCL) and large ganglion cell bodies by immunofluorescence labeling. There was little expression of p75NTR in the normal retina, while expression increased extensively in GCL, inner plexiform layer (IPL) and inner nuclear layer (INL) after retinal ischemia. p75NTR was shown to co-localize with neurofilament in the axons of neuronal cells by double-labeling. These results suggested that the protein expressions of 60 and 50 kDa forms of p75NTR, and the 90 kDa mature form of sortilin increased in ischemia-induced retinal neuron of rats.