HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Hypoplastic basement membrane of the lens anlage in the inheritable lens aplastic mouse (lap mouse).

Abstract
Adult homozygous lap mice show various eye abnormalities such as aphakia, retinal disorganization, and dysplasia of the cornea and anterior chamber. In the fetal eye of a homozygous lap mouse, the lens placode appears to develop normally. However, the lens vesicle develops abnormally to form a mass of cells without a cavity, and the mass vanishes soon afterward. Apoptotic cell death is associated with the disappearance of the lens anlage. We examined the basement membranes of the lens anlage of this mutant by immunohistochemical methods under light microscopy using antibodies against basement membrane components of the lens anlage, type IV collagen, fibronectin, laminin, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, and entactin and by transmission electron microscopy. Immunohistochemistry showed the distribution and intensity of antibody binding to the lens anlage to be almost the same for each these antibodies regardless of the stage of gestation or whether the anlagen were from normal BALB/c or lap mice. Thus, positive continuous reactions were observed around the exterior region of the lens anlage from day 10 of gestation for type IV collagen, fibronectin, laminin, heparan sulfate proteoglycan antibodies, and at least from day 11of gestation for entactin antibody. The basement membrane lamina densa of both normal and lap mice was shown by electron microscopy to be discontinuous at days 10 and 10.5 of gestation. However, by day 11 the lamina densa was continuous in the lens anlagen of normal mice but still discontinuous in the lap mice. By day 12 of gestation, the lamina densa had thickened markedly in normal mice, whereas in lap mice it remained discontinuous and its thinness indicated hypoplasia. These results indicate that, while all basement components examined are produced and deposited in the normal region of the lens anlage in the lap mouse, the basement membrane is, for some reason, imperfectly formed. The time at which hypoplasia of the basement membrane was observed in this mutant coincided with the stage during which apoptosis in the lens anlage occurred. This result may indicate a possibility of the relationship between the basement membrane and apoptosis in this mutant.
AuthorsS Aso, R Baba, S Noda, S Ikuno, M Fujita
JournalTeratology (Teratology) Vol. 61 Issue 4 Pg. 262-72 (Apr 2000) ISSN: 0040-3709 [Print] United States
PMID10716744 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
CopyrightCopyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Chemical References
  • Collagen
Topics
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Basement Membrane (abnormalities, pathology, ultrastructure)
  • Collagen (analysis)
  • Embryonic and Fetal Development
  • Eye Abnormalities (embryology, pathology)
  • Female
  • Gestational Age
  • Lens, Crystalline (abnormalities, embryology, pathology)
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Mutant Strains

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: