Purpose: To determine whether tauopathies are associated with impaired autophagy and involved in the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) of rats from an optic nerve crush (ONC).
Methods: Short interfering RNA (siRNA) of the tau gene (si-Tau) or nontargeting siRNA (si-NC) was injected intravitreally 48 hours prior to ONC. The effects of silencing the tau gene on neuroprotection were determined by the number of Tuj-1-stained RGCs on days 7 and 14 after the ONC. The changes in the expressions of phosphorylated tau, P62, and LC3B were determined by immunoblots and immunohistochemistry on day 7.
Results: Autophagy was impaired in the retina on day 7 after the ONC as the P62 level increased by 3.1-fold from the sham control level with a reduction in the ratio LC3B2/LC3B1. There was a 2.1-fold increase of phosphorylated tau (ser 396) in the retina, and si-Tau depressed the increase by 1.3-fold (n = 3 each). The expressions of tau and P62 were well colocalized. They were observed in the somas of RGCs and retinal nerve fibers (RNFs), and these expressions were increased after the ONC. Pretreatment by si-Tau showed significant protection in the number of RGCs after the ONC. Specifically, the density of RGCs was 540 ± 74.5 cells/mm2 on day 14 in the si-NC group, while the level was maintained at 1321 ± 192 cells/mm2 in the si-Tau group (n = 4 each).
Conclusions: Silencing the tau gene is neuroprotective, and tauopathies may be involved in the death of RGCs after ONC. Impaired autophagy may be involved in ONC-induced tauopathies.