AIM:To investigate the antioxidant protective effect of Lycium barbarum glycopeptide(LbGP)pretreatment on retinal ischemia-reperfusion(I/R)injury(RIRI)in rats.METHODS:RIRI was induced in Sprague Dawley rats through anterior chamber perfusion,and pretreatment involved administering LbGP via gavage for 7d.After 24h of reperfusion,serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),and creatinine(CREA)levels,retinal structure,expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-8,superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity,and malondialdehyde(MDA)in the retina were measured.RESULTS:The pretreatment with LbGP effectively protected the retina and retinal tissue from edema and inflammation in the ganglion cell layer(GCL)and nerve fiber layer(NFL)of rats subjected to RIRI,as shown by light microscopy and optical coherence tomography(OCT).Serum AST was higher in the model group than in the blank group(P=0.042),but no difference was found in ALT,AST,and CREA across the LbGP groups and model group.Caspase-3 expression was higher in the model group than in the blank group(P=0.006),but no difference was found among LbGP groups and the model group.Caspase-8 expression was higher in the model group than in the blank group(P=0.000),and lower in the 400 mg/kg LbGP group than in the model group(P=0.016).SOD activity was lower in the model group than in the blank group(P=0.001),and the decrease was slower in the 400 mg/kg LbGP group than in the model group(P=0.003).MDA content was higher in the model group than in the blank group(P=0.001),and lower in the 400 mg/kg LbGP group than in the model group(P=0.016).The pretreatment with LbGP did not result in any observed liver or renal toxicity in the model.CONCLUSION:LbGP pretreatment exhibits dosedependent anti-inflammatory,and antioxidative effects by reducing Caspase-8 expression,preventing declines of SOD activity,and decreasing MDA content in the RIRI rat model.
Yan-Xia WuShuo YinShan-Shan SongXiang LiuYu-Xuan DengXue-Jing Lu
Photoreceptor cell degeneration leads to blindness, for which there is currently no effective treatment. Our previous studies have shown that Lycium barbarum(L. barbarum) polysaccharide(LBP) protects degenerated photoreceptors in rd1, a transgenic mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa. L. barbarum glycopeptide(Lb GP) is an immunoreactive glycoprotein extracted from LBP. In this study, we investigated the potential protective effect of Lb GP on a chemically induced photoreceptor-degenerative mouse model. Wild-type mice received the following: oral administration of Lb GP as a protective pre-treatment on days 1–7;intraperitoneal administration of 40 mg/kg N-methylN-nitrosourea to induce photoreceptor injury on day 7;and continuation of orally administered Lb GP on days 8–14. Treatment with Lb GP increased photoreceptor survival and improved the structure of photoreceptors, retinal photoresponse, and visual behaviors of mice with photoreceptor degeneration. Lb GP was also found to partially inhibit the activation of microglia in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-injured retinas and significantly decreased the expression of two pro-inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, Lb GP effectively slowed the rate of photoreceptor degeneration in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-injured mice, possibly through an anti-inflammatory mechanism, and has potential as a candidate drug for the clinical treatment of photoreceptor degeneration.
