The change of morphology and Bax/Bcl-2 of retina after optic nerve crush in rat.

Objective To observe the morphological change of retinal ganglion cell(RGC) and the change of Bax/Bcl-2 after optic nerve crush in rat.?Methods The models of optic nerve crush in rats were made.The change of RGC in different time after injury was observed and the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in retina were studied by immunohistology.?Results The number of RGC was reduced significantly due to partial lesion of optic nerve crush. The initial loss of RGC was accelerated during one week after nerve crush and then declined gradually by 14 days,the later declines was protracted in RGC densities.The expression of Bax and Bcl-2 increased and the reaction of Bax to injury is slower than Bcl-2.Both of expression raised first and declined later.The ratio of Bcl-2/Bax is closely relative to the number of RGC.?Conclusions The secondary degeneration following optic nerve crush is morphological basis of fall of visual function,Bcl-2 and Bax play an important role in the mechanism of dead of RGC,which has relative relation with the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax at different intervals after optic injury.