Chronic exposure to an extremely low-frequency magnetic field induces depression-like behavior and corticosterone secretion without enhancement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in mice.

An extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) is generated by power lines and household electrical devices. Many studies have suggested an association between chronic ELF-MF exposure and anxiety and/or depression. The mechanism of these effects is assumed to be a stress response induced by ELF-MF exposure.

Responses and signaling pathways in human optic nerve head astrocytes exposed to hydrostatic pressure in vitro.

In this study, we examined the effects of mechanical stress induced by elevated hydrostatic pressure (HP) on the migration of human optic nerve head (ONH) astrocytes, using an in vitro model that follows repopulation of a cell-free area (CFA) created on a monolayer of cultured astrocytes. alpha-Tubulin staining detected phenotypic changes in astrocytes exposed to HP. The influence of proliferation in closure of the CFA was determined by incorporation of BrdU under 1.

Differential gene expression in astrocytes from human normal and glaucomatous optic nerve head analyzed by cDNA microarray.

Recent advances in cDNA microarray technology have made it possible to analyze expression of several thousand genes at the same time. Using this technique, gene expression in human astrocytes cultured from glaucomatous and normal optic nerve heads (ONH) was compared. One hundred-fifty genes were differentially expressed more than 5-fold in glaucomatous cell cultures compared with normal.