The expression of nestin during the vascular development in mouse retina

Abstract

Introduction: The present study aimed to evaluate the expression of nestin, a neural stem cell marker, in developmental mouse retina. In addition, we aimed to indicate in which kind of retinal cells are related with the expression of nestin during the vascular development in mouse retina.

Methods: Eyes were enucleated from C57BL/6 mice, which were sacrificed postnatally on days P4, P8, P12, P16 and P26, and sectioned to 4㎛ after paraffin embedding. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to identify the expression of nestin and CD31, α-SMA, and GFAP.

Results: The nestin expression was confined to GCL where the end feet of Muller radial glial cell located during P4 to P8. As the intermediate vascular plexus becomes visible on P12, the nestin expression was scarcely observed along the vessel wall located in INL. The nestin expression was observed on GCL and INL with speckled cytoplasmic pattern on P16 and P26. The nestin expression merged with those of CD31 and α-SMA, but not that of GFAP.

Conclusions: The expression of nestin was in close relationship with those of endothelial cells and pericytes, but not with that of astrocytes during the vascular development in mouse retina.