中文摘要：

在哺乳动物的视网膜的背景马勒房间通常表示 glial fibrillary 的底层酸的蛋白质(GFAP ) ；然而，它的表示是响应网膜的神经原的损失的 upregulated。在 GFAP 的表示的变化是网膜的损坏的最早的指示物之一并且与疾病的时间功课被相关。这研究的目的是在 mer 大美人老鼠的视网膜调查退化和 GFAP 的表示的时间功课。30 只 mer 大美人老鼠全部的方法 A，当控制被测试，从 15-20 天变老到 1 年和 32 只匹配年龄的野类型老鼠。 Immunohistochemistry 被用来在 15 天( P15d )的出生后的年龄在 mer 大美人和控制鼠标的中央、外部的视网膜显示出 GFAP 的表达式， 20 天( P20d )， 4 个星期( P4w )， 6 个星期( P6w )， 8 个星期( P8w )， 3 个月( P3m )， 6 个月( P6m )和 1 年( P1y ) .Results 在野类型鼠标的中央、外部的视网膜的 GFAP 的表达式被限制到网膜的中心房间和神经纤维层。在 mer 大美人老鼠的中央视网膜， GFAP 表示是在 P4w 的 upregulated， GFAP immunolabelling 在 P8w 渗透视网膜的全部厚度到对面；而在外部视网膜， GFAP 表示是在 P20d 的 upregulated， GFAP immunolabelling 在 P4w 以后渗透全部视网膜。结论在 mer 大美人老鼠的马勒房间增加了 GFAP 的表示在中央视网膜在外部视网膜和 P4w 发生在 P20d。在马勒房间的 GFAP 表示看起来是对网膜的神经原的损失的第二等的回答。GFAP 的增加的表示可以在视网膜发生在任何可检测的词法变化以前。这研究建议网膜的神经原的损失可以在视网膜炎 pigmentosa 的早阶段开始，在在视网膜的任何词法变化的发现以前。

英文摘要：

Background Muller cells in the mammalian retina normally express low levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein （GFAP）; however, its expression is upregulated in response to the loss of retinal neurons. The change in expression of GFAP is one of the earliest indicators of retinal damage and is correlated with the time course of disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the time course of degeneration and the expression of GFAP in the retina of mer knockout mice. Methods A total of 30 mer knockout mice, aged from 15-20 days to 1 year and 32 age-matched wild type mice as controls were tested. Immunohistochemistry was used to show the expression of GFAP in the central and peripheral retina of mer knockout and control mice at postnatal age of 15 days （P15d）, 20 days （P20d）, 4 weeks （P4w）, 6 weeks （P6w）, 8 weeks （P8w）, 3 months （P3m）, 6 months （P6m） and 1 years （P1y）.Results The expression of GFAP in the central and peripheral retina of wild type mice was limited to the retinal ganglion cell and nerve fiber layers. In the central retina of mer knockout mice, GFAP expression was upregulated at P4w and GFAP immunolabelling penetrates across the entire thickness of the retina at P8w; whereas in the peripheral retina, the GFAP expression was upregulated at P20d and GFAP immunolabelling penetrates the entire retina after P4w. Conclusions Increased expression of GFAP in Muller cells of mer knockout mice occur at P20d in the peripheral retina and P4w in the central retina. GFAP expression in Muller cells appears to be a secondary response to the loss of retinal neurons. Increased expression of GFAP may occur prior to any detectable morphological changes in the retina. This study suggests that the loss of retinal neurons may begin in the early stages of retinitis pigmentosa, prior to the discovery of any morphological changes in the retina.