Fig. 6.

Survival of retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve crush in transgenic mice overexpressing a receptor for anti-MBP T cells or anti-OVA T cells. All RGCs of both eyes of transgenic mice overexpressing a T cell receptor for MBP or a T cell receptor for OVA and of the corresponding wild-type mice were labeled with a stereotactically injected dye. Three days later the mice were subjected to a unilateral crush injury. After 1 week the retinas were excised and whole mounted, and their labeled (surviving) RGCs were counted. The mean numbers of RGCs ± SEM in each group of transgenic mice are expressed here as percentages of the matched wild type. Survival of the injured mice overexpressing a T cell receptor for MBP (n = 10) was significantly higher than in the corresponding wild type (n = 10;p < 0.009), whereas in mice overexpressing a T cell receptor for OVA (n = 9) survival was lower than in the corresponding wild type (n = 10;p < 0.0003; t test).