AIM: Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of inherited neurodegenerative human diseases characterized by the loss of photoreceptor cells by apoptosis and lead to eventual blindness. A single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), an alkylating agent, causes photoreceptor cell apoptosis within seven days in rats. Curcumin is a polyphenolic natural product with pluripotent properties including antioxidant activity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of curcumin against photoreceptor apoptosis in a MNU-induced retinal degeneration rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats received a single i.p. injection of 40 mg/kg MNU. Three days prior to MNU injection, daily i.p. injections of 100 or 200 mg/kg curcumin were started, and the injections were continued once daily until sacrifice. Rats were sacrificed at 6, 12, 24 and 72 h, and 7 days after MNU, and their eyes were examined morphologically and morphometrically to evaluate the photoreceptor cell ratio and retinal damage ratio in hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. Retinal 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the apoptotic cell ratio in photoreceptor cells was determined in situ by TdT-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick-end labeling (TUNEL). RESULTS: Curcumin (200 mg/kg) significantly (p<0.01) suppressed the loss of photoreceptor cells, as determined by the photoreceptor cell ratio at the central retina seven days after MNU, and this effect was dose-dependent. At 12 h after MNU injection, when the oxidative DNA damage caused by MNU peaked, curcumin significantly reduced the level of 8-OHdG (0.78 vs. 0.50 ng/ml) (p<0.05) and the percentage of TUNEL-positive photoreceptor cells (17.5% vs. 10.8%) (p<0.05) as compared with MNU-exposed, curcumin-untreated retina, respectively. CONCLUSION: Curcumin inhibited MNU-induced photoreceptor cell apoptosis by suppressing DNA oxidative stress. These findings indicate that curcumin may help to suppress the onset and progression of human retinitis pigmentosa.
AIM: Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of inherited neurodegenerative human diseases characterized by the loss of photoreceptor cells by apoptosis and lead to eventual blindness. A single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), an alkylating agent, causes photoreceptor cell apoptosis within seven days in rats. Curcumin is a polyphenolic natural product with pluripotent properties including antioxidant activity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of curcumin against photoreceptor apoptosis in a MNU-induced retinal degenerationrat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats received a single i.p. injection of 40 mg/kg MNU. Three days prior to MNU injection, daily i.p. injections of 100 or 200 mg/kg curcumin were started, and the injections were continued once daily until sacrifice. Rats were sacrificed at 6, 12, 24 and 72 h, and 7 days after MNU, and their eyes were examined morphologically and morphometrically to evaluate the photoreceptor cell ratio and retinal damage ratio in hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. Retinal 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the apoptotic cell ratio in photoreceptor cells was determined in situ by TdT-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick-end labeling (TUNEL). RESULTS:Curcumin (200 mg/kg) significantly (p<0.01) suppressed the loss of photoreceptor cells, as determined by the photoreceptor cell ratio at the central retina seven days after MNU, and this effect was dose-dependent. At 12 h after MNU injection, when the oxidative DNA damage caused by MNU peaked, curcumin significantly reduced the level of 8-OHdG (0.78 vs. 0.50 ng/ml) (p<0.05) and the percentage of TUNEL-positive photoreceptor cells (17.5% vs. 10.8%) (p<0.05) as compared with MNU-exposed, curcumin-untreated retina, respectively. CONCLUSION:Curcumin inhibited MNU-induced photoreceptor cell apoptosis by suppressing DNA oxidative stress. These findings indicate that curcumin may help to suppress the onset and progression of humanretinitis pigmentosa.
Authors: Federica Franzone; Marcella Nebbioso; Tiziano Pergolizzi; Giuseppe Attanasio; Angela Musacchio; Antonio Greco; Paolo Giuseppe Limoli; Marco Artico; Demetrios A Spandidos; Samanta Taurone; Enzo Agostinelli Journal: Exp Ther Med Date: 2021-05-21 Impact factor: 2.447
Authors: Carmen Espinós; Máximo Ibo Galindo; María Adelaida García-Gimeno; José Santiago Ibáñez-Cabellos; Dolores Martínez-Rubio; José María Millán; Regina Rodrigo; Pascual Sanz; Marta Seco-Cervera; Teresa Sevilla; Andrea Tapia; Federico V Pallardó Journal: Antioxidants (Basel) Date: 2020-04-15
Authors: Wei Zhu; Yan Wu; Yi-Fang Meng; Jin-Yu Wang; Ming Xu; Jian-Jun Tao; Jiong Lu Journal: Drug Des Devel Ther Date: 2015-09-25 Impact factor: 4.162