Astrocyte and microglial activation in the lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex of glaucomatous and optic nerve transected primates.

Abstract

These results suggest that unilateral OHT or ONT triggers separate signaling pathways that promote differential activation of CNS glial populations. Astrocyte reactivity was present in all brains studied and demonstrates the loss of metabolic activity is accompanied by increased GFAP immunoreactivity. Microglial activation was only observed in ONT brains. The lack of microglial activation as late as two months following OHT may represent a time window for early treatment to prevent long-term neuronal loss in the CNS after OHT.