Figure 1.

Neurons in the RGC layer are sensitive to glutamate excitotoxicity. A) Exposure of retinas to 40 μM NAE 18:2 or ethanol vehicle does not affect viability of neurons in the RGC layer. Glutamate (100 μM) exposure, however, causes apoptotic cell death in the RGC layer of retina explants (red arrows). B) Quantitative summary data revealing the lack of toxicity of NAE 18:2 or its vehicle as well as the degree of cell death in the RGC layer measured as the number of TUNEL-positive cells in retinas exposed to glutamate. RGCs were identified by Thy 1.2 and neurofilament-68 kDa immunoreactivity and location.¹⁵,³²

Notes: Scale bar: 50 μM. *denotes P < 0.05, as determined with a one-way analysis of variance test.

Abbreviations: DIC, differential interference contrast; NAE, N-acylethanolamide; RGC, retinal ganglion cell; TUNEL, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP (2′-deoxyuridine 5′-triphosphate) nick-end labeling – green fluorescence.