N -Methyl-d-Aspartate (NMDA)-Mediated Excitotoxic Damage: A Mouse Model of Acute Retinal Ganglion Cell Damage

The animal model of N -methyl-d -aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxic damage of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) is widely used to study the molecular mechanisms of RGC apoptosis and/or its prevention by neuroprotective agents. This chapter provides protocols for applying NMDA-induced excitotoxic damage to RGC of mouse eyes and for subsequent measuring of the extent of the resulting damage.