Rap1 GTPase Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-Induced Choroidal Endothelial Migration via NADPH Oxidase- and NF-κB-Dependent Activation of Rac1.

Macrophage-derived tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α has been found in choroidal neovascularization (CNV) surgically removed from patients with age-related macular degeneration. However, the role of TNF-α in CNV development remains unclear. In a murine laser-induced CNV model, compared with un-lasered controls, TNF-α mRNA was increased in retinal pigment epithelial and choroidal tissue, and TNF-α colocalized with lectin-stained migrating choroidal endothelial cells (CECs).

Targeting Müller cell-derived VEGF164 to reduce intravitreal neovascularization in the rat model of retinopathy of prematurity.

Purpose: To determine whether knockdown of Müller cell-derived VEGFA-splice variant, VEGF164, which is upregulated in the rat retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) model, safely inhibits intravitreal neovascularization (IVNV).

Methods: Short hairpin RNAs for VEGF164 (VEGF164.shRNAs) or luciferase.

An Fgf8 mouse mutant phenocopies human 22q11 deletion syndrome.

Deletion of chromosome 22q11, the most common microdeletion detected in humans, is associated with a life-threatening array of birth defects. Although 90% of affected individuals share the same three megabase deletion, their phenotype is highly variable and includes craniofacial and cardiovascular anomalies, hypoplasia or aplasia of the thymus with associated deficiency of T cells, hypocalcemia with hypoplasia or aplasia of the parathyroids, and a variety of central nervous system abnormalities. Because ablation of neural crest in chicks produces many features of the deletion 22q11 syndrome, it has been proposed that haploinsufficiency in this region impacts neural crest function during cardiac and pharyngeal arch development.