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Agarwal R, Agarwal P, Iezhitsa I. Exploring the current use of animal models in glaucoma drug discovery: where are we in 2023? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:1287-1300. [PMID: 37608634 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2246892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Animal models are widely used in glaucoma-related research. Since the elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor underlying the disease pathogenesis, animal models with high IOP are commonly used. However, models are also used to represent the clinical context of glaucomatous changes developing despite a normal IOP. AREAS COVERED Herein, the authors discuss the various factors that contribute to the quality of studies using animal models based on the evaluation of studies published in 2022. The factors affecting the quality of studies using animal models, such as the animal species, age, and sex, are discussed, along with various methods and outcomes of studies involving different animal models of glaucoma. EXPERT OPINION Translating animal research data to clinical applications remains challenging. Our observations in this review clearly indicate that many studies lack scientific robustness not only in their experiment conduct but also in data analysis, interpretation, and presentation. In this context, ensuring the internal validity of animal studies is the first step in quality assurance. External validity, however, is more challenging, and steps should be taken to satisfy external validity at least to some extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renu Agarwal
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Malaysia
| | - Puneet Agarwal
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Malaysia
| | - Igor Iezhitsa
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Malaysia
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Lambuk L, Iezhitsa I, Agarwal R, Agarwal P, Peresypkina A, Pobeda A, Ismail NM. Magnesium acetyltaurate prevents retinal damage and visual impairment in rats through suppression of NMDA-induced upregulation of NF-κB, p53 and AP-1 (c-Jun/c-Fos). Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:2330-2344. [PMID: 33818520 PMCID: PMC8354133 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.310691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnesium acetyltaurate (MgAT) has been shown to have a protective effect against N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced retinal cell apoptosis. The current study investigated the involvement of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), p53 and AP-1 family members (c-Jun/c-Fos) in neuroprotection by MgAT against NMDA-induced retinal damage. In this study, Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to undergo intravitreal injection of vehicle, NMDA or MgAT as pre-treatment to NMDA. Seven days after injections, retinal ganglion cells survival was detected using retrograde labelling with fluorogold and BRN3A immunostaining. Functional outcome of retinal damage was assessed using electroretinography, and the mechanisms underlying antiapoptotic effect of MgAT were investigated through assessment of retinal gene expression of NF-κB, p53 and AP-1 family members (c-Jun/c-Fos) using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Retinal phospho-NF-κB, phospho-p53 and AP-1 levels were evaluated using western blot assay. Rat visual functions were evaluated using visual object recognition tests. Both retrograde labelling and BRN3A immunostaining revealed a significant increase in the number of retinal ganglion cells in rats receiving intravitreal injection of MgAT compared with the rats receiving intravitreal injection of NMDA. Electroretinography indicated that pre-treatment with MgAT partially preserved the functional activity of NMDA-exposed retinas. MgAT abolished NMDA-induced increase of retinal phospho-NF-κB, phospho-p53 and AP-1 expression and suppressed NMDA-induced transcriptional activity of NF-κB, p53 and AP-1 family members (c-Jun/c-Fos). Visual object recognition tests showed that MgAT reduced difficulties in recognizing the visual cues (i.e. objects with different shapes) after NMDA exposure, suggesting that visual functions of rats were relatively preserved by pre-treatment with MgAT. In conclusion, pre-treatment with MgAT prevents NMDA induced retinal injury by inhibiting NMDA-induced neuronal apoptosis via downregulation of transcriptional activity of NF-κB, p53 and AP-1-mediated c-Jun/c-Fos. The experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, UiTM CARE No 118/2015 on December 4, 2015 and UiTM CARE No 220/7/2017 on December 8, 2017 and Ethics Committee of Belgorod State National Research University, Russia, No 02/20 on January 10, 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidawani Lambuk
- Center for Neuroscience Research (NeuRon), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Igor Iezhitsa
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Renu Agarwal
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Puneet Agarwal
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Anna Peresypkina
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russia
| | - Anna Pobeda
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russia
| | - Nafeeza Mohd Ismail
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Orhan C, Er B, Deeh PBD, Bilgic AA, Ojalvo SP, Komorowski JR, Sahin K. Different Sources of Dietary Magnesium Supplementation Reduces Oxidative Stress by Regulation Nrf2 and NF-κB Signaling Pathways in High-Fat Diet Rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 2021; 199:4162-4170. [PMID: 33409912 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-020-02526-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Magnesium (Mg) is an essential mineral required for many physiological processes, including ionic balances in ocular tissues. We compared the effects of different Mg-chelates (Mg oxide, MgO vs. Mg picolinate, MgPic) on retinal function in a high-fat diet (HFD) rats. Forty-two rats were divided into six groups and treated orally for 8 weeks as follows: Control, MgO, MgPic, HFD, HFD + MgO, and HFD + MgPic. Mg was administered at 500 mg of elemental Mg/kg of diet. HFD intake increased the levels of retinal MDA and NF-κB, INOS, ICAM, and VEGF but downregulated Nrf2. However, in rats supplemented with MgO and MgPic, the retinal MDA level was decreased, compared with the control and HFD rats. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GPx) were increased in HFD animals given Mg-chelates (p < 0.001), MgPic being the most effective. Mg supplementation significantly decreased the expression levels of NF-κB, INOS, ICAM, and VEGF in HFD rats while increasing the level of Nrf2 (p < 0.001). Mg supplementation significantly decreased the levels of NF-κB, INOS, ICAM, and VEGF and increased Nrf2 level in HFD rats (p < 0.001), with stronger effects seen from MgPic. Mg attenuated retinal oxidative stress and neuronal inflammation and could be considered as an effective treatment for ocular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cemal Orhan
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Firat University, 23119, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Besir Er
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | | | - Ahmet Alp Bilgic
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sabuncuoglu Serefeddin Research and Training Hospital, Amasya University, Amasya, Turkey
| | | | | | - Kazim Sahin
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Firat University, 23119, Elazig, Turkey.
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Abstract
Glaucoma is a range of progressive optic neuropathies characterized by progressive retinal ganglion cell loss and visual field defects. It is recognized as a leading cause of irreversible blindness affecting more than 70 million people worldwide. Currently, reduction of intraocular pressure, a widely recognized risk factor for glaucoma development, is the only pharmacological strategy for slowing down retinal ganglion cell loss and disease progression. However, retinal ganglion cell death and visual field loss have been observed in normotensive glaucoma, suggesting that the disease process is partially independent of intraocular pressure. Taurine is one of the agents that have attracted attention of researchers recently. Taurine has been shown to be involved in multiple cellular functions, including a central role as a neurotransmitter, as a trophic factor in the central nervous system development, as an osmolyte, as a neuromodulator, and as a neuroprotectant. It also plays a role in the maintenance of the structural integrity of the membranes and in the regulation of calcium transport and homeostasis. Taurine is known to prevent N-methyl-D-aspartic acid-induced excitotoxic injury to retinal ganglion cells. A recently published study clearly demonstrated that taurine prevents retinal neuronal apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. Protective effect of taurine may be attributed to direct inhibition of apoptosis, an activation of brain derived neurotrophic factor-related neuroprotective mechanisms and reduction of retinal oxidative and nitrosative stresses. Further studies are needed to fully explore the potential of taurine as a neuroprotective agent, so that it can be applied in clinical practice, particularly for the treatment of glaucoma. The objective of current review was to summarize recent evidence on neuroprotective properties of taurine in glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Iezhitsa
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Volgograd State Medical University, Research Centre for Innovative Medicines, Volgograd, Russian Federation
| | - Renu Agarwal
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Nor Arfuzir NN, Agarwal R, Iezhitsa I, Agarwal P, Ismail NM. Magnesium acetyltaurate protects against endothelin-1 induced RGC loss by reducing neuroinflammation in Sprague dawley rats. Exp Eye Res 2020; 194:107996. [PMID: 32156652 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.107996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of ocular conditions like glaucoma. Glaucoma is characterized by apoptotic loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and loss of visual fields and is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. In glaucomatous eyes, retinal ischemia causes release of pro-inflammatory mediators such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and promotes activation of transcription factors such as nuclear factor kappa B (NFKB) and c-Jun. Magnesium acetyltaurate (MgAT) has previously been shown to protect against ET-1 induced retinal and optic nerve damage. Current study investigated the mechanisms underlying these effects of MgAT, which so far remain unknown. Sprague dawley rats were intravitreally injected with ET-1 with or without pretreatment with MgAT. Seven days post-injection, retinal expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, NFKB and c-Jun protein and genes was determined using multiplex assay, Western blot and PCR. Animals were subjected to retrograde labeling of RGCs to determine the extent of RGC survival. RGC survival was also examined using Brn3A staining. Furthermore, visual functions of rats were determined using Morris water maze. It was observed that pre-treatment with MgAT protects against ET-1 induced increase in the retinal expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α proteins and genes. It also protected against ET-1 induced activation of NFKB and c-Jun. These effects of MgAT were associated with greater RGC survival and preservation of visual functions in rats. In conclusion, MgAT prevents ET-1 induced RGC loss and loss of visual functions by suppressing neuroinflammatory reaction in rat retinas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Najwa Nor Arfuzir
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Renu Agarwal
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Igor Iezhitsa
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia; Volgograd State Medical University, Research Centre for Innovative Medicines, Volgograd, Russian Federation; Institute for Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Puneet Agarwal
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nafeeza Mohd Ismail
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Peresypkina A, Pazhinsky A, Danilenko L, Lugovskoy S, Pokrovskii M, Beskhmelnitsyna E, Solovev N, Pobeda A, Korokin M, Levkova E, Gubareva V, Korokina L, Martynova O, Soldatov V, Pokrovskii V. Retinoprotective Effect of 2-Ethyl-3-hydroxy-6-methylpyridine Nicotinate. Biology (Basel) 2020; 9:biology9030045. [PMID: 32121045 PMCID: PMC7150877 DOI: 10.3390/biology9030045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
An important task of pharmacology is to find effective agents to improve retinal microcirculation and resistance to ischemia. The purpose of the study is to pharmacologically evaluate the retinoprotective effect of 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-6-methylpyridine nicotinate in a rat model of retinal ischemia–reperfusion. A retinal ischemia–reperfusion model was used, in which an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) to 110 mmHg was carried out within 30 min. The retinoprotective effect of 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-6-methylpyridine nicotinate at a dose of 3.8 mg/kg, in comparison with nicotinic acid at a dose of 2 mg/kg and emoxipine at a dose of 2 mg/kg, was estimated by the changes in the eye fundus during ophthalmoscopy, the retinal microcirculation level with laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), and electroretinography (ERG) after 72 h of reperfusion. The use of 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-6-methylpyridine nicotinate prevented the development of ischemic injuries in the fundus and led to an increase in the retinal microcirculation level to 747 (median) (lower and upper quartiles: 693;760) perfusion units (p = 0.0002) in comparison with the group that underwent no treatment. In the group with the studied substance, the b-wave amplitude increased significantly (p = 0.0022), and the b/a coefficient increased reliably (p = 0.0002) in comparison with the group with no treatment. Thus, 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-6-methylpyridine nicotinate has established itself as a potential retinoprotector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Peresypkina
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
- Research Institute of Pharmacology of Living Systems, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (O.M.); (V.S.); (V.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-903-885-86-19
| | - Anton Pazhinsky
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
| | - Lyudmila Danilenko
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
| | - Sergey Lugovskoy
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
| | - Mikhail Pokrovskii
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
- Research Institute of Pharmacology of Living Systems, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (O.M.); (V.S.); (V.P.)
| | - Evgeniya Beskhmelnitsyna
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
| | - Nikolai Solovev
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
| | - Anna Pobeda
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
| | - Mikhail Korokin
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
- Research Institute of Pharmacology of Living Systems, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (O.M.); (V.S.); (V.P.)
| | - Elena Levkova
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
| | - Victoria Gubareva
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
| | - Liliya Korokina
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (A.P.); (L.D.); (S.L.); (M.P.); (E.B.); (N.S.); (M.K.); (E.L.); (V.G.); (L.K.)
| | - Olga Martynova
- Research Institute of Pharmacology of Living Systems, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (O.M.); (V.S.); (V.P.)
| | - Vladislav Soldatov
- Research Institute of Pharmacology of Living Systems, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (O.M.); (V.S.); (V.P.)
| | - Vladimir Pokrovskii
- Research Institute of Pharmacology of Living Systems, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia; (O.M.); (V.S.); (V.P.)
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Lambuk L, Jafri AJA, Iezhitsa I, Agarwal R, Bakar NS, Agarwal P, Abdullah A, Ismail NM. Dose-dependent effects of NMDA on retinal and optic nerve morphology in rats. Int J Ophthalmol 2019; 12:746-753. [PMID: 31131232 DOI: 10.18240/ijo.2019.05.08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate dose-dependent effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) on retinal and optic nerve morphology in rats. METHODS Sprague Dawley rats, 180-250 g in weight were divided into four groups. Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were intravitreally administered with vehicle and NMDA at the doses 80, 160 and 320 nmol respectively. Seven days after injection, rats were euthanized, and their eyes were taken for optic nerve toluidine blue and retinal hematoxylin and eosin stainings. The TUNEL assay was done for detecting apoptotic cells. RESULTS All groups treated with NMDA showed significantly reduced ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness within inner retina, as compared to control group. Group NMDA 160 nmol showed a significantly greater GCL thickness than the group NMDA 320 nmol. Administration of NMDA also resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in the number of nuclei both per 100 µm GCL length and per 100 µm2 of GCL. Intravitreal NMDA injection caused dose-dependent damage to the optic nerve. The degeneration of nerve fibres with increased clearing of cytoplasm was observed more prominently as the NMDA dose increased. In accordance with the results of retinal morphometry analysis and optic nerve grading, TUNEL staining demonstrated NMDA-induced excitotoxic retinal injury in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate dose-dependent effects of NMDA on retinal and optic nerve morphology in rats that may be attributed to differences in the severity of excitotoxicity and oxidative stress. Our results also suggest that care should be taken while making dose selections experimentally so that the choice might best uphold study objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidawani Lambuk
- Center for Neuroscience Research (NeuRon), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh 47000, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Azliana Jusnida Ahmad Jafri
- Center for Neuroscience Research (NeuRon), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh 47000, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Igor Iezhitsa
- Center for Neuroscience Research (NeuRon), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh 47000, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.,Research Institute of Pharmacology, Volgograd State Medical University, Volgograd 400131, Russian Federation
| | - Renu Agarwal
- Center for Neuroscience Research (NeuRon), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh 47000, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Nor Salmah Bakar
- Center for Neuroscience Research (NeuRon), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh 47000, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Puneet Agarwal
- IMU Clinical School, International Medical University (IMU), Seremban 70300, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Aimy Abdullah
- Center for Neuroscience Research (NeuRon), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh 47000, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Nafeeza Mohd Ismail
- IMU Clinical School, International Medical University (IMU), Seremban 70300, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
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Jafri AJA, Agarwal R, Iezhitsa I, Agarwal P, Ismail NM. Taurine protects against NMDA-induced retinal damage by reducing retinal oxidative stress. Amino Acids 2019; 51:641-646. [PMID: 30656415 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-019-02696-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate effect of TAU on NMDA-induced changes in retinal redox status, retinal cell apoptosis and retinal morphology in Sprague-Dawley rats. Taurine was injected intravitreally as pre-, co- or post-treatment with NMDA and 7 days post-treatment retinae were processed for estimation of oxidative stress, retinal morphology using H&E staining and retinal cell apoptosis using TUNEL staining. Treatment with TAU, particularly pre-treatment, significantly increased retinal glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase levels compared to NMDA-treated rats; whereas, the levels of malondialdehyde reduced significantly. Reduction in retinal oxidative stress in TAU pre-treated group was associated with significantly greater fractional thickness of ganglion cell layer within inner retina and retinal cell density in inner retina. TUNEL staining showed significantly reduced apoptotic cell count in TAU pre-treated group compared to NMDA group. It could be concluded that TAU protects against NMDA-induced retinal injury in rats by reducing retinal oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azliana Jusnida Ahmad Jafri
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Renu Agarwal
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
- I-PPerForM, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Igor Iezhitsa
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Research Institute of Pharmacology, Volgograd State Medical University, Volgograd, Russia
| | - Puneet Agarwal
- Faculty of Medicine, International Medical University, IMU Clinical School, Seremban, Malaysia
| | - Nafeeza Mohd Ismail
- Faculty of Medicine, International Medical University, IMU Clinical School, Seremban, Malaysia
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Nor Arfuzir NN, Agarwal R, Iezhitsa I, Agarwal P, Sidek S, Ismail NM. Taurine protects against retinal and optic nerve damage induced by endothelin-1 in rats via antioxidant effects. Neural Regen Res 2018; 13:2014-2021. [PMID: 30233077 PMCID: PMC6183037 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.239450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, is involved in retinal vascular dysregulation and oxidative stress in glaucomatous eyes. Taurine (TAU), a naturally occurring free amino acid, is known for its neuroprotective and antioxidant properties. Hence, we evaluated its neuroprotective properties against ET-1 induced retinal and optic nerve damage. ET-1 was administered intravitreally to Sprague-Dawley rats and TAU was injected as pre-, co- or post-treatment. Animals were euthanized seven days post TAU injection. Retinae and optic nerve were examined for morphology, and were also processed for caspase-3 immunostaining. Retinal redox status was estimated by measuring retinal superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, and malondialdehyde levels using enzyme-linked immuosorbent assay. Histopathological examination showed significantly improved retinal and optic nerve morphology in TAU-treated groups. Morphometric examination showed that TAU pre-treatment provided marked protection against ET-1 induced damage to retina and optic nerve. In accordance with the morphological observations, immunostaining for caspase showed a significantly lesser number of apoptotic retinal cells in the TAU pre-treatment group. The retinal oxidative stress was reduced in all TAU-treated groups, and particularly in the pre-treatment group. The findings suggest that treatment with TAU, particularly pre-treatment, prevents apoptosis of retinal cells induced by ET-1 and hence prevents the changes in the morphology of retina and optic nerve. The protective effect of TAU against ET-1 induced retinal and optic nerve damage is associated with reduced retinal oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Najwa Nor Arfuzir
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Renu Agarwal
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Igor Iezhitsa
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia; Volgograd State Medical University, Research Institute of Pharmacology, Volgograd, Russia
| | - Puneet Agarwal
- Faculty of Medicine, International Medical University, IMU Clinical School, Seremban, Malaysia
| | - Sabrilhakim Sidek
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nafeeza Mohd Ismail
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
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