Ethambutol-induced vacuolar changes and neuronal loss in rat retinal cell culture: mediation by endogenous zinc.

Ethambutol is an efficacious antituberculosis agent. However, its use has been limited by the occurrence of ocular toxicity. To investigate characteristics and possible mechanisms of ethambutol ocular toxicity, we used primary rat retinal cultures as a model. Primary rat retinal cultures were obtained from newborn Sprague-Dawley rats and used for experiments after maturation (DIV > or = 10). Cytopathologic changes were examined under light and electron microscopes. Thy-1 (a membrane glycoprotein expressed by retinal ganglion neurons)-containing neurons and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons were identified immunocytochemically. Exposure of retinal cultures for 24-48 h to ethambutol induced cytoplasmic vacuolar changes and neuronal loss. Vacuolar changes were partially reversible with the termination of ethambutol exposure. Of neurons, Thy-1(+) ganglion neurons were more vulnerable than GABA(+) neurons. Glutamate antagonists, an antioxidant (trolox), or cycloheximide, did not attenuate either vacuolar changes or neuronal loss. A cell-permeant zinc chelator N,N,N',N'-tetrakis (2-pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (TPEN) markedly attenuated vacuolar degeneration and neuronal loss, while the addition of zinc augmented both. In rat retinal cultures, ethambutol induces reversible vacuolar degeneration as well as irreversible neuronal loss, more preferentially of Thy-1(+) ganglion neurons. Contrary to the current theories, ethambutol-induced retinal cytotoxicity in the present study is mediated not by excitotoxicity or zinc deficiency but by a mechanism requiring intracellular zinc. In addition, features of the ethambutol-induced cell death were not consistent with those of apoptosis. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.