Adenosine Receptors Expression in Human Retina and Choroid with Age-related Macular Degeneration.

PubMed ID: 36937188

Author(s): P Goebel C, Song YS, S Zaitoun I, Wang S, A D Potter H, M Sorenson C, Sheibani N. Adenosine Receptors Expression in Human Retina and Choroid with Age-related Macular Degeneration. J Ophthalmic Vis Res. 2023 Feb 21;18(1):51-59. doi: 10.18502/jovr.v18i1.12725. eCollection 2023 Jan-Mar. PMID 36937188

Journal: Journal Of Ophthalmic & Vision Research, Volume 18, Issue 1, 2023

PURPOSE Adenosine signaling modulates ocular inflammatory processes, and its antagonism mitigates neovascularization in both newborns and preclinical models of ocular neovascularization including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The adenosine receptor expression patterns have not been well characterized in the human retina and choroid.

METHODS Here we examined the expression of adenosine receptor subtypes within the retina and choroid of human donor eyes with and without AMD. Antibodies specifically targeting adenosine receptor subtypes A1, A2A, A2B, and A3 were used to assess their expression patterns. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was used to confirm gene expression of these receptors within the normal human retina and choroid.

RESULTS We found that all four receptor subtypes were expressed in several layers of the retina, and within the retinal pigment epithelium and choroid. The expression of A1 receptors was more prominent in the inner and outer plexiform layers, where microglia normally reside, and supported by RNA expression in the retina. A2A and A2B showed similar expression patterns with prominent expression in the vasculature and retinal pigment epithelium. No dramatic differences in expression of these receptors were observed in eyes from patients with dry or wet AMD compared to control, with the exception A3 receptors. Eyes with dry AMD lost expression of A3 in the photoreceptor outer segments compared with eyes from control or wet AMD.

CONCLUSION The ocular presence of adenosine receptors is consistent with their proposed role in modulation of inflammation in both the retina and choroid, and their potential targeting for AMD treatment.