The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of TCM Diagnostics, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Treatment of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology Diseases with Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China.
The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of TCM Diagnostics, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2022 Oct 5;296:115519. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115519. Epub 2022 Jul 2.
Lycium barbarum L. and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Gouqi and Danshen, LS) are traditional herbs for the treatment of retinal degeneration in China. LS have been integrated into pharmacopoeia and health care system of many countries around the world. However, the mechanisms by which LS protect retina are not fully clarified.
We aimed at exploration of the effect of LS on retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells apoptosis as well as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress mechanisms.
ARPE-19 cells were exposed to tunicamycin to induce ER stress, followed by LS treatment for 24 h. The cell morphology was photographed using the Incucyte S3 instrument, and the potential cytotoxic effect and viability were evaluated by CCK-8 assays. The Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and TUNEL assay were conducted to detect cells apoptotic. Western blot and digital PCR were used to detected related protein and gene expression.
The ARPE-19 cells are increased in number and aligned after treating with LS. 1 mg/ml is the LS high dose group dose and treatment with LS increased cell vitality. LS significantly inhibit ARPE-19 cells apoptosis. Moreover, LS were markedly decreased the expression levels of ER stress-related factors in the ARPE-19 cells.
This study reveals that LS relieve ARPE-19 cells apoptosis by inhibiting ER stress, and here we can speculate that LS have a certain protective effect on retina.
枸杞（Lycium barbarum L.）和丹参（Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge，LS）是中国传统草药，用于治疗视网膜退行性变。LS 已被纳入世界许多国家的药典和保健系统。然而，LS 保护视网膜的机制尚未完全阐明。
本研究旨在探讨 LS 对视网膜色素上皮（RPE）细胞凋亡以及内质网（ER）应激机制的影响。
用衣霉素诱导 ARPE-19 细胞产生 ER 应激，然后用 LS 处理 24 小时。使用 Incucyte S3 仪器拍摄细胞形态，通过 CCK-8 测定评估潜在的细胞毒性作用和活力。通过 Annexin V-FITC/PI 染色和 TUNEL 检测评估细胞凋亡。Western blot 和数字 PCR 用于检测相关蛋白和基因表达。
LS 处理后 ARPE-19 细胞数量增加且排列整齐。1mg/ml 为 LS 高剂量组，LS 处理可增加细胞活力。LS 显著抑制 ARPE-19 细胞凋亡。此外，LS 明显降低了 ARPE-19 细胞中 ER 应激相关因子的表达水平。
本研究表明 LS 通过抑制 ER 应激缓解 ARPE-19 细胞凋亡，由此我们可以推测 LS 对视网膜具有一定的保护作用。
