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Qin Q, Yu N, Gu Y, Ke W, Zhang Q, Liu X, Wang K, Chen M. Inhibiting multiple forms of cell death optimizes ganglion cells survival after retinal ischemia reperfusion injury. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:507. [PMID: 35637215 PMCID: PMC9151775 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04911-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Progressive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) death that triggered by retinal ischemia reperfusion (IR), leads to irreversible visual impairment and blindness, but our knowledge of post-IR neuronal death and related mechanisms is limited. In this study, we first demonstrated that apart from necroptosis, which occurs before apoptosis, ferroptosis, which is characterized by iron deposition and lipid peroxidation, is involved in the whole course of retinal IR in mice. Correspondingly, all three types of RGCs death were found in retina samples from human glaucoma donors. Further, inhibitors of apoptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis (z-VAD-FMK, Necrostatin-1, and Ferrostatin-1, respectively) all exhibited marked RGC protection against IR both in mice and primary cultured RGCs, with Ferrostatin-1 conferring the best therapeutic effect, suggesting ferroptosis plays a more prominent role in the process of RGC death. We also found that activated microglia, Müller cells, immune responses, and intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation following IR were significantly mitigated after each inhibitor treatment, albeit to varying degrees. Moreover, Ferrostatin-1 in combination with z-VAD-FMK and Necrostatin-1 prevented IR-induced RGC death better than any inhibitor alone. These findings stand to advance our knowledge of the post-IR RGC death cascade and guide future therapy for RGC protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyu Qin
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEye Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XZhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China
| | - Naiji Yu
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEye Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XZhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China
| | - Yuxiang Gu
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEye Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XZhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China
| | - Weishaer Ke
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEye Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XZhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China
| | - Qi Zhang
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEye Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XZhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China
| | - Xin Liu
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEye Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XZhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China
| | - Kaijun Wang
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEye Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XZhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China
| | - Min Chen
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEye Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XZhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province China
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2
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Zaninello M, Palikaras K, Sotiriou A, Tavernarakis N, Scorrano L. Sustained intracellular calcium rise mediates neuronal mitophagy in models of autosomal dominant optic atrophy. Cell Death Differ 2022; 29:167-177. [PMID: 34389813 PMCID: PMC8738763 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-021-00847-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy are often hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases such as autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA) caused by mutations in the key mitochondrial dynamics protein optic atrophy 1 (Opa1). However, the second messengers linking mitochondrial dysfunction to initiation of mitophagy remain poorly characterized. Here, we show in mammalian and nematode neurons that Opa1 mutations trigger Ca2+-dependent mitophagy. Deletion or expression of mutated Opa1 in mouse retinal ganglion cells and Caenorhabditis elegans motor neurons lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, increased cytosolic Ca2+ levels, and decreased axonal mitochondrial density. Chelation of Ca2+ restores mitochondrial density in neuronal processes, neuronal function, and viability. Mechanistically, sustained Ca2+ levels activate calcineurin and AMPK, placed in the same genetic pathway regulating axonal mitochondrial density. Our data reveal that mitophagy in ADOA depends on Ca2+-calcineurin-AMPK signaling cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Zaninello
- grid.428736.cVeneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy ,grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy ,grid.6190.e0000 0000 8580 3777Present Address: Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging‐Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Konstantinos Palikaras
- grid.5216.00000 0001 2155 0800Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Aggeliki Sotiriou
- grid.4834.b0000 0004 0635 685XInstitute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete Greece
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- grid.4834.b0000 0004 0635 685XInstitute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete Greece ,grid.8127.c0000 0004 0576 3437Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete Greece
| | - Luca Scorrano
- grid.428736.cVeneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy ,grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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3
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Zhang L, Zhu T, He F, Li X. Senescence marker protein 30 (SMP30) protects against high glucose-induced apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammatory response in retinal ganglion cells by enhancing Nrf2 activation via regulation of Akt/GSK-3β pathway. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 101:108238. [PMID: 34688152 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Senescence marker protein 30 (SMP30) is an aging-related protein that participates in the regulation of tissue damage under various pathological conditions. However, the role of SMP30 in mediating high glucose (HG)-induced injury of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) has not been fully determined. We found that SMP30 expression declined during HG stimulation in RGCs. Cellular functional studies showed that the up-regulation of SMP30 dramatically prohibited HG-evoked apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammatory response in RGCs. Mechanism research reported that SMP30 overexpression led to the enhancement of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) activation in HG-stimulated RGCs. Moreover, SMP30 overexpression enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt and glucogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), and the suppression of Akt markedly abolished SMP30-mediated Nrf2 activation in HG-stimulated RGCs. Additionally, the suppression of Nrf2 substantially reversed SMP30-overexpression-induced anti-HG injury effects in RGCs. Overall, these findings suggest that SMP30 protects against HG injury of RGCs by potentiating Nrf2 through regulation of the Akt/GSK-3β pathway. Our work underscores that SMP30/Akt/GSK-3β/Nrf2 may exert a vital role in mediating the injury of RGCs during diabetic retinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an 710068, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Northwest Woman's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an 710068, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Fang He
- The 8th Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Xueying Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an 710068, Shaanxi Province, China.
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Zhu F, Shao J, Tian Y, Xu Z. Sulfiredoxin-1 protects retinal ganglion cells from high glucose-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory injury by potentiating Nrf2 signaling via the Akt/GSK-3β pathway. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 101:108221. [PMID: 34653733 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sulfiredoxin-1 (Srxn1) has been acknowledged as a remarkable pro-survival factor in the protection of cells against stress-induced damage. The persistent exposure of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to high glucose (HG) in diabetes induces cellular damage, which contributes to the onset of diabetic retinopathy, a severe complication of diabetes. So far, little is known about the role of Srxn1 in regulating HG-induced injury of RGCs. The goals of this work were to evaluate the possible relevance of Srxn1 in the modulation of HG-induced apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation of RGCs in vitro. Our data showed that HG exposure caused a marked decrease in Srxn1 expression in RGCs. The up-regulation of Srxn1 markedly decreased HG-evoked apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release in RGCs. On the contrary, the depletion of Srxn1 rendered RGCs more susceptible to HG-induced injury. Further data demonstrated that Srnx1 enhanced the activation of nuclear factor erythroid-2 (E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling in HG-exposed RGCs associated with up-regulating the phosphorylation of Akt and glucogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). Notably, the inhibition of Akt abolished Srnx1-overexpression-mediated Nrf2 activation, while GSK-3β inhibition reversed Srnx1-depletion-mediated inactivation of Nrf2. In addition, Nrf2 inhibition partially abrogated Srnx1-mediated protective effects against HG-induced injury of RGCs. In summary, these data demonstrate that the overexpression of Srxn1 protects RGCs from the HG-induced injury of RGCs by enhancing Nrf2 signaling via modulation of Akt/GSK-3β axis. Our work highlights that the Srxn1-mediated Akt/GSK-3β/Nrf2 axis may exert a possible role in regulating RGC injury of diabetic retinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Zhu
- Ophthalmology, Yulin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yulin 719000, China
| | - Juan Shao
- Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Eye Hospital, Xi'an People's Hospital (Xi'an Fourth Hospital), Affiliated Guangren Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, China.
| | - Yunlin Tian
- Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Eye Hospital, Xi'an People's Hospital (Xi'an Fourth Hospital), Affiliated Guangren Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, China
| | - Zhiguo Xu
- Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Eye Hospital, Xi'an People's Hospital (Xi'an Fourth Hospital), Affiliated Guangren Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, China
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Wang L, Gong J, Wang J, Dan J, Wang P. Long Non-coding RNA MALAT1 Alleviates the Elevated Intraocular Pressure (Eiop)-induced Glaucoma Progression via Sponging miR-149-5p. Curr Eye Res 2020; 46:903-911. [PMID: 33108931 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2020.1843686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Background: Glaucoma is an optic neuropathic disease and contributed to the irreversible blindness caused by the slow death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) was reported to be aberrantly expressed in diverse diseases, including glaucoma. However, the mechanism of MALAT1 in glaucoma was still undefined.Methods: The levels of MALAT1, microRNA-149-5p (miR-149-5p) in RGCs cultured under elevated pressure were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The putative target of MALAT1 was predicted by starBase v2.0 online database, and dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and RNA pull-down assay were performed to verify this interaction. The cell viability of RGCs was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The apoptotic rate was evaluated via flow cytometry. The protein levels of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)) and Cleaved caspase 3 were assessed by Western blot.Results: The level of MALAT1 was significantly down-regulated, and the level of miR-149-5p was distinctly up-regulated in RGCs under pressure in a dose-dependent manner. Functionally, MALAT1 overexpression or miR-149-5p inhibitor alleviated the inhibitory effect on cell viability and the promoted effect on apoptotic rate of RGCs in EIOP. The interaction between MALAT1 and miR-149-5p was predicted by starBase v2.0 online database, and dual luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay and RNA pull-down assay validated the interaction. Combined with the loss and gain experiment results, miR-149-5p was negatively interacted with MALAT1. Furthermore, miR-149-5p mimics mitigated the promoted impact on cell viability and the suppressive impact on apoptotic rate by targeting MALAT1.Conclusion: MALAT1 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis of RGCs via targeting miR-149-5p in glaucoma in vitro, which might shed light on the mechanism of glaucoma pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linling Wang
- The Affiliated Renhe Hospital of China Three Gorges University (The Second Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University), Yichang, Hubei, China
| | - Jin Gong
- The Affiliated Renhe Hospital of China Three Gorges University (The Second Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University), Yichang, Hubei, China
| | - Junling Wang
- The Affiliated Renhe Hospital of China Three Gorges University (The Second Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University), Yichang, Hubei, China
| | - Jing Dan
- The Affiliated Renhe Hospital of China Three Gorges University (The Second Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University), Yichang, Hubei, China
| | - Ping Wang
- The Affiliated Renhe Hospital of China Three Gorges University (The Second Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University), Yichang, Hubei, China
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Zaninello M, Palikaras K, Naon D, Iwata K, Herkenne S, Quintana-Cabrera R, Semenzato M, Grespi F, Ross-Cisneros FN, Carelli V, Sadun AA, Tavernarakis N, Scorrano L. Inhibition of autophagy curtails visual loss in a model of autosomal dominant optic atrophy. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4029. [PMID: 32788597 PMCID: PMC7423926 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17821-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA), caused by mutations in the mitochondrial cristae biogenesis and fusion protein optic atrophy 1 (Opa1), retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dysfunction and visual loss occur by unknown mechanisms. Here, we show a role for autophagy in ADOA pathogenesis. In RGCs expressing mutated Opa1, active 5’ AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its autophagy effector ULK1 accumulate at axonal hillocks. This AMPK activation triggers localized hillock autophagosome accumulation and mitophagy, ultimately resulting in reduced axonal mitochondrial content that is restored by genetic inhibition of AMPK and autophagy. In C. elegans, deletion of AMPK or of key autophagy and mitophagy genes normalizes the axonal mitochondrial content that is reduced upon mitochondrial dysfunction. In conditional, RGC specific Opa1-deficient mice, depletion of the essential autophagy gene Atg7 normalizes the excess autophagy and corrects the visual defects caused by Opa1 ablation. Thus, our data identify AMPK and autophagy as targetable components of ADOA pathogenesis. Autosomal dominant optic atrophy is caused by mutations in the mitochondrial fusion protein OPA1. Here, the authors show that AMPK-induced autophagy depletes mitochondria in axons of retinal ganglion cells and that autophagic inhibition reverses vision loss in a mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Zaninello
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, Rome, Italy
| | - Konstantinos Palikaras
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.,Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Deborah Naon
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Keiko Iwata
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Stephanie Herkenne
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, Rome, Italy
| | - Ruben Quintana-Cabrera
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Martina Semenzato
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Grespi
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy.,Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alfredo A Sadun
- Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.,Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Luca Scorrano
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy. .,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy.
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The mito-QC Reporter for Quantitative Mitophagy Assessment in Primary Retinal Ganglion Cells and Experimental Glaucoma Models. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21051882. [PMID: 32164182 PMCID: PMC7084520 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21051882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial damage plays a prominent role in glaucoma. The only way cells can degrade whole mitochondria is via autophagy, in a process called mitophagy. Thus, studying mitophagy in the context of glaucoma is essential to understand the disease. Up to date limited tools are available for analyzing mitophagy in vivo. We have taken advantage of the mito-QC reporter, a recently generated mouse model that allows an accurate mitophagy assessment to fill this gap. We used primary RGCs and retinal explants derived from mito-QC mice to quantify mitophagy activation in vitro and ex vivo. We also analyzed mitophagy in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), in vivo, using different mitophagy inducers, as well as after optic nerve crush (ONC) in mice, a commonly used surgical procedure to model glaucoma. Using mito-QC reporter we quantified mitophagy induced by several known inducers in primary RGCs in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. We also found that RGCs were rescued from some glaucoma relevant stress factors by incubation with the iron chelator deferiprone (DFP). Thus, the mito-QC reporter-based model is a valuable tool for accurately analyzing mitophagy in the context of glaucoma.
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Chen N, Li Y, Huang N, Yao J, Luo WF, Jiang Q. The Nrf2 activator MIND4-17 protects retinal ganglion cells from high glucose-induced oxidative injury. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:7204-7213. [PMID: 32020639 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of acquired blindness among adults. High glucose (HG) induces oxidative injury and apoptosis in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), serving as a primary pathological mechanism of DR. MIND4-17 activates nuclear-factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling via modifying one cysteine (C151) residue of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). The current study tested its effect in HG-treated primary murine RGCs. We show that MIND4-17 disrupted Keap1-Nrf2 association, leading to Nrf2 protein stabilization and nuclear translocation, causing subsequent expression of key Nrf2 target genes, including heme oxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1. Functional studies showed that MIND4-17 pretreatment significantly inhibited HG-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in primary murine RGCs. Reactive oxygen species production and oxidative injury in HG-treated murine RGCs were attenuated by MIND4-17. Nrf2 silencing (by targeted small interfering RNA) or knockout (by CRISPR/Cas9 method) abolished MIND4-17-induced RGC cytoprotection against HG. Additionally, Keap1 knockout or silencing mimicked and abolished MIND4-17-induced activity in RGCs. In vivo, MIND4-17 intravitreal injection activated Nrf2 signaling and attenuated retinal dysfunction by light damage in mice. We conclude that MIND4-17 activates Nrf2 signaling to protect murine RGCs from HG-induced oxidative injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Chen
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ya Li
- The Central Lab, North District, Suzhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Nan Huang
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jin Yao
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei-Feng Luo
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qin Jiang
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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