Vitreous Fibrillar Structure and Interfibrillar Composition in Adult Mice
Jaramillo-Garcés, Patricia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals)
Pampalona Sala, Judit (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciències Morfològiques)
Carretero i Romay, Ana (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals)
José Cunilleras, Eduard (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)
Ramos, David (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciències Morfològiques)
Ruberte, Jesús (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	PURPOSE. Although mice are widely used models for human eye diseases, knowledge of their vitreous is scarce and fragmentary. This study characterizes the structure and composition of vitreous fibrils and their interfibrillar space. Given the role of this fibrillar network in maintaining the vitreous' biomechanical properties, the impact of intravitreal injections on vitreous architecture was also explored. METHODS. Healthy adult C57/BL6J mice were studied. Classical histological techniques, picrosirius red-polarization, immunofluorescence, lectin histochemistry, and hyaluronic acid binding protein assays were used to examine vitreous fibrils and interfibrillar space. For the analysis of distribution of components along the fibrils, the Airyscan microscopy was used to achieve higher resolution. RESULTS. Vitreous fibrils consist of fibrillar collagen, glycoproteins (fibrillin 1, fibronectin, laminin, and collagen IV), N-acetyl galactosamine, and hyaluronan, all absent in the interfibrillar space. A single sterile intravitreal saline injection induced an inflammatory insult, characterized by increased fibril density and macrophage/hyalocyte invasion. Lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (Lamp1) immunohistochemistry suggests these cells may remove fibrils via phagocytosis and activate a remodeling process in the vitreous. CONCLUSIONS. This study enhances understanding of the mouse vitreous structure, suggesting fibrils are composed of glycoprotein-wrapped collagen cores. Furthermore, the absence of hyaluronan and glycoproteins between fibrils may explain lower viscosity in mice compared with humans. Intravitreal injections as an inflammatory insult disrupt fibril networks and activate macrophages/hyalocytes.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2021-122545OB-I00
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Hyalocyte ; Intravitreal injection ; Macrophage ; Sterile inflammation ; Vitreous fibrils
Published in:	Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Vol. 66, Núm. 3 (March 2025) , ISSN 1552-5783

DOI: 10.1167/iovs.66.3.60
PMID: 40162951

14 p, 2.9 MB

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