sptaial transcriptomics of high intraocular pressure and WT rats.

Previous studies indicated that activation of glial cells and inflammatory responses are triggering factors of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. In particular, neurotoxic reactive astrocytes have been found to play a significant role in retinal ganglion cell damage. Furthermore, research showed that activation of glial cells is not dependent on retinal ganglion cell injury, but rather a direct response to pathological elevation of intraocular pressure. However, the molecular mechanism by which elevated intraocular pressure triggers glial activation through mechanical forces remains unknown. By spatial transcriptome sequencing, our study revealed that the neurotoxic astrocyte would rapidly be reactivated in the optic nerve head under elevated intraocular pressure in vivo.既往研究表明，胶质细胞（glial cells）激活与炎症反应是青光眼性视神经病变（glaucomatous optic neuropathy）的诱发因素。其中，神经毒性反应性星形胶质细胞（neurotoxic reactive astrocytes）在视网膜神经节细胞（retinal ganglion cell）损伤过程中发挥了关键作用。进一步研究显示，胶质细胞激活并非依赖于视网膜神经节细胞损伤，而是直接响应病理性眼压（intraocular pressure）升高的过程。然而，眼压升高通过机械应力（mechanical forces）触发胶质细胞激活的分子机制目前仍未明确。本研究借助空间转录组测序（spatial transcriptome sequencing）技术发现，在体内眼压升高的条件下，视神经乳头（optic nerve head）处的神经毒性星形胶质细胞会快速发生重新激活。