Department of Ophthalmology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
Mar Drugs. 2020 Jan 28;18(2):85. doi: 10.3390/md18020085.
Astaxanthin, a xanthophyll belonging to the family of carotenoids, is a potent antioxidant. However, much less is known about its protective effects on the oxidative stress of ischemic optic nerve. We hypothesized that astaxanthin treatment could protect retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from death via anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic responses. Adult male Wistar rats were fed astaxanthin (100 mg/kg/day) by daily gavage for seven consecutive days, either before or after inducing oxidative stress in the retina by photodynamic treatment. The visual function, RGC apoptosis, macrophage infiltration in the optic nerve, expression of p-Akt, p-mTOR, SGK1, pS6K, Nrf2, p62, TNFα, Il1β in retinas were investigated. The visual function and the RGC densities were significantly higher in both pre- and post-treatment groups. The numbers of apoptotic RGCs and extrinsic macrophage infiltration in the optic nerve were significantly decreased in both astaxanthin-treated groups. Furthermore, pre- and post-treatment of astaxanthin showed a higher expression of p-Akt, p-mTOR, Nrf2 and superoxide dismutase activity, and a lower expression of cleaved caspase-3, suggesting anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative roles. Our findings indicate that astaxanthin can preserve visual function and reduce RGC apoptosis after ischemic insults. Including astaxanthin in daily diet as a supplement may be beneficiary for ischemic optic neuropathy.
虾青素是类胡萝卜素家族中的一种叶黄素，是一种有效的抗氧化剂。然而，人们对其对视神经缺血性氧化应激的保护作用知之甚少。我们假设虾青素治疗可以通过抗氧化和抗细胞凋亡反应来保护视网膜神经节细胞（RGC）免于死亡。成年雄性 Wistar 大鼠通过每日灌胃连续 7 天给予虾青素（100mg/kg/天），在光动力处理诱导视网膜氧化应激之前或之后进行。研究了视觉功能、RGC 凋亡、视神经中巨噬细胞浸润、视网膜中 p-Akt、p-mTOR、SGK1、pS6K、Nrf2、p62、TNFα、Il1β的表达。在预处理和后处理组中，视觉功能和 RGC 密度都显著升高。在虾青素处理组中，凋亡的 RGC 数量和视神经中外来巨噬细胞浸润明显减少。此外，虾青素的预处理和后处理显示出更高的 p-Akt、p-mTOR、Nrf2 和超氧化物歧化酶活性，以及更低的 cleaved caspase-3 表达，表明具有抗细胞凋亡和抗氧化作用。我们的研究结果表明，虾青素可以在缺血性损伤后维持视觉功能并减少 RGC 凋亡。将虾青素纳入日常饮食作为补充剂可能对缺血性视神经病变有益。
