Damage to eye nerve cells in glaucoma disrupts daily stress hormone patterns and lowers hormone levels

Glaucoma may disrupt the coordination of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as indicated by altered gene expression profiles.

• Reduced expression of the Crh gene was observed in the paraventricular nucleus of glaucoma-affected mice.
• A 10-hour phase delay in the expression of the Crh-r1 gene was noted in the pituitary gland due to glaucoma.
• The rhythmic expression of Pomc in the pituitary and Mc2r in the adrenal gland was lost in glaucoma-affected mice.
• Changes in the daily rhythms of key clock genes were associated with alterations in the HPA axis gene expression profiles.
• The observed phase shifts and amplitude changes in Per1, Per2, Nr1d1, and Bmal1 resulted in misalignment of pituitary and adrenal rhythms.
• Reduced amplitude of corticosterone was linked to impaired communication between central and peripheral biological clocks.

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