Gene Expression Changes under Cyclic Mechanical Stretching in Rat Retinal Glial (Müller) Cells

Objective: The retina is subjected to tractional forces in various conditions. As the predominant glial element in the retina, Müller cells are active players in all forms of retinal injury and disease. In this study, we aim to identify patterns of gene expression changes induced by cyclic mechanical stretching in Müller cells. Methods: Rat Müller cells were seeded onto flexible bottom culture plates and subjected to a cyclic stretching regimen of 15 % equibiaxial stretching for 1 and 24 h. RNA was extracted and amplified, labeled, and hybridized to rat genome microarrays. The expression profiles were analyzed using GeneSpring software, and gene ontology analysis and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were used to select, annotate, and visualize genes by function and pathway. The selected genes of interest were further validated by Quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR). Results: Microarray data analysis showed that at 1 and 24 h, the expression of 532 and 991 genes in the Müller cells significantly (t-test, p,0.05) differed between the mechanically stretched and unstretched groups. Of these genes, 56 genes at 1 h and 62 genes at 24 h showed more than a twofold change in expression. Several genes related to response t