Soluble Guanylate Cyclase A1-Deficient Mice: a Novel Murine Model for Primary Open Angle Glaucoma.

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by retinal ganglion cell degeneration leading to vision loss. Primary open angle glaucoma is a subtype of glaucoma that results in visual field loss due to optic nerve damage caused by increase in intraocular pressure. Events in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) pathogenesis has been associated with nitric oxide (NO) which activates the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), a heterodimeric enzyme consisting of α and β subunits by c GMP signaling. 1-2 In POAG patients NO metabolites and level of c GMP has been found to be decreased in aqueous humor. Impaired signaling can be a contributing risk factor to the etiology of the POAG.3 However whether signal impairment can result in POAG and mechanism underlying is yet to be elucidated. doi : 10.5214/ans.0972.7531.200207