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Anderson BD, Lee T, Bell B, Song Y, Dunaief JL. Low ceruloplasmin levels exacerbate retinal degeneration in a hereditary hemochromatosis model. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:dmm050226. [PMID: 37439255 PMCID: PMC10354715 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In a previous report, a 39-year-old patient with high serum iron levels from hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) was diagnosed with a form of retinal degeneration called bull's eye maculopathy. This is atypical for patients with HH, so it was theorized that the low serum levels of ferroxidase ceruloplasmin (CP) of this patient coupled with the high iron levels led to the retinal degeneration. CP, by oxidizing iron from its ferrous to ferric form, helps prevent the oxidative damage caused by ferrous iron. To test this, a hepcidin knockout (KO) mouse model of HH was combined with Cp KO to test whether the combination would lead to more severe retinal degeneration. Monthly in vivo retinal images were acquired and, after 11 months, mice were euthanized for further analyses. Both heterozygous and homozygous Cp KO increased the rate and severity of retinal degeneration. These results demonstrate the protective role of CP, which is most likely owing to its ferroxidase activity. The findings suggest that CP levels may influence the severity of retinal degeneration, especially in individuals with high serum iron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon D. Anderson
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Timothy Lee
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Brent Bell
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ying Song
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joshua L. Dunaief
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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2
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Drinking hydrogen water improves photoreceptor structure and function in retinal degeneration 6 mice. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13610. [PMID: 35948585 PMCID: PMC9365798 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17903-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetically heterogeneous group of inherited retinal disorders involving the progressive dysfunction of photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium, for which there is currently no treatment. The rd6 mouse is a natural model of autosomal recessive retinal degeneration. Given the known contributions of oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and selective inhibition of potent ROS peroxynitrite and OH·by H2 gas we have previously demonstrated, we hypothesized that ingestion of H2 water may delay the progression of photoreceptor death in rd6 mice. H2 mice showed significantly higher retinal thickness as compared to controls on optical coherence tomography. Histopathological and morphometric analyses revealed higher thickness of the outer nuclear layer for H2 mice than controls, as well as higher counts of opsin red/green-positive cells. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of differentially expressed genes in the H2 group versus control group revealed 1996 genes with significantly different expressions. Gene and pathway ontology analysis showed substantial upregulation of genes responsible for phototransduction in H2 mice. Our results show that drinking water high in H2 (1.2-1.6 ppm) had neuroprotective effects and inhibited photoreceptor death in mice, and suggest the potential of H2 for the treatment of RP.
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Yang M, Tsui MG, Tsang JKW, Goit RK, Yao KM, So KF, Lam WC, Lo ACY. Involvement of FSP1-CoQ 10-NADH and GSH-GPx-4 pathways in retinal pigment epithelium ferroptosis. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:468. [PMID: 35585057 PMCID: PMC9117320 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04924-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration plays an important role in a group of retinal disorders such as retinal degeneration (RD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The mechanism of RPE cell death is not yet fully elucidated. Ferroptosis, a novel regulated cell death pathway, participates in cancer and several neurodegenerative diseases. Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx-4) and ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1) have been proposed to be two main regulators of ferroptosis in these diseases; yet, their roles in RPE degeneration remain elusive. Here, we report that both FSP1-CoQ10-NADH and GSH-GPx-4 pathways inhibit retinal ferroptosis in sodium iodate (SIO)-induced retinal degeneration pathologies in human primary RPE cells (HRPEpiC), ARPE-19 cell line, and mice. GSH-GPx-4 signaling was compromised after a toxic injury caused by SIO, which was aggravated by silencing GPx-4, and ferroptosis inhibitors robustly protected RPE cells from the challenge. Interestingly, while inhibition of FSP1 caused RPE cell death, which was aggravated by SIO exposure, overexpression of FSP1 effectively protected RPE cells from SIO-induced injury, accompanied by a significant down-regulation of CoQ10/NADH and lipid peroxidation. Most importantly, in vivo results showed that Ferrostatin-1 not only remarkably alleviated SIO-induced RPE cell loss, photoreceptor death, and retinal dysfunction but also significantly ameliorated the compromised GSH-GPx-4 and FSP1-CoQ10-NADH signaling in RPE cells isolated from SIO-induced RPE degeneration. These data describe a distinct role for ferroptosis in controlling RPE cell death in vitro and in vivo and may provide a new avenue for identifying treatment targets for RPE degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Michelle Grace Tsui
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jessica Kwan Wun Tsang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rajesh Kumar Goit
- Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kwok-Ming Yao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kwok-Fai So
- Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Wai-Ching Lam
- Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Amy Cheuk Yin Lo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Zhao T, Guo X, Sun Y. Iron Accumulation and Lipid Peroxidation in the Aging Retina: Implication of Ferroptosis in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Aging Dis 2021; 12:529-551. [PMID: 33815881 PMCID: PMC7990372 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2020.0912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron is an essential component in many biological processes in the human body. It is critical for the visual phototransduction cascade in the retina. However, excess iron can be toxic. Iron accumulation and reduced efficiency of intracellular antioxidative defense systems predispose the aging retina to oxidative stress-induced cell death. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterized by retinal iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. The mechanisms underlying AMD include oxidative stress-mediated death of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and subsequent death of retinal photoreceptors. Understanding the mechanism of the disruption of iron and redox homeostasis in the aging retina and AMD is crucial to decipher these mechanisms of cell death and AMD pathogenesis. The mechanisms of retinal cell death in AMD are an area of active investigation; previous studies have proposed several types of cell death as major mechanisms. Ferroptosis, a newly discovered programmed cell death pathway, has been associated with the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. Ferroptosis is initiated by lipid peroxidation and is characterized by iron-dependent accumulation. In this review, we provide an overview of the mechanisms of iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation in the aging retina and AMD, with an emphasis on ferroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tantai Zhao
- 1Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,2Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaojian Guo
- 1Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,2Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yun Sun
- 1Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,2Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Picard E, Daruich A, Youale J, Courtois Y, Behar-Cohen F. From Rust to Quantum Biology: The Role of Iron in Retina Physiopathology. Cells 2020; 9:cells9030705. [PMID: 32183063 PMCID: PMC7140613 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron is essential for cell survival and function. It is a transition metal, that could change its oxidation state from Fe2+ to Fe3+ involving an electron transfer, the key of vital functions but also organ dysfunctions. The goal of this review is to illustrate the primordial role of iron and local iron homeostasis in retinal physiology and vision, as well as the pathological consequences of iron excess in animal models of retinal degeneration and in human retinal diseases. We summarize evidence of the potential therapeutic effect of iron chelation in retinal diseases and especially the interest of transferrin, a ubiquitous endogenous iron-binding protein, having the ability to treat or delay degenerative retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Picard
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, USPC, Université Paris Descartes, Team 17, F-75006 Paris, France; (A.D.); (J.Y.); (Y.C.); (F.B.-C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +331-44-27-81-82
| | - Alejandra Daruich
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, USPC, Université Paris Descartes, Team 17, F-75006 Paris, France; (A.D.); (J.Y.); (Y.C.); (F.B.-C.)
- Ophthalmology Department, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, APHP, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jenny Youale
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, USPC, Université Paris Descartes, Team 17, F-75006 Paris, France; (A.D.); (J.Y.); (Y.C.); (F.B.-C.)
| | - Yves Courtois
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, USPC, Université Paris Descartes, Team 17, F-75006 Paris, France; (A.D.); (J.Y.); (Y.C.); (F.B.-C.)
| | - Francine Behar-Cohen
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, USPC, Université Paris Descartes, Team 17, F-75006 Paris, France; (A.D.); (J.Y.); (Y.C.); (F.B.-C.)
- Ophtalmopole, Cochin Hospital, AP-HP, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris, France
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Oral administration of the iron chelator deferiprone protects against loss of retinal ganglion cells in a mouse model of glaucoma. Exp Eye Res 2020; 193:107961. [PMID: 32045598 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.107961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Glaucoma is a progressive neurodegenerative process affecting the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and the optic nerve. Oxidative stress has been implicated in glaucoma pathogenesis, and iron is a potent generator of oxidative stress. The oral iron chelator deferiprone (DFP) is protective against retinal degenerations associated with oxidative stress. To test whether DFP could be protective in glaucoma, we used microbead injections to induce elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in a cohort of 3-month old C57BL/6J mice. One eye of each animal was injected with magnetic microbeads resulting in ocular hypertension for >7 weeks while the fellow eye was injected with saline and served as a normotensive internal control. While half of the cohort received oral DFP (1 mg/ml in the drinking water), the other half did not and served as controls. After 8 weeks, Brn3a immunolabeling of flat-mounted retinas was used for manual RGC quantification. Axon counts were obtained from thin sections of optic nerves using the AxonJ plugin for ImageJ. DFP administration was protective against RGC and optic nerve loss in the setting of elevated IOP. These results suggest that iron chelation by DFP may provide glaucoma neuroprotection.
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Shu W, Dunaief JL. Potential Treatment of Retinal Diseases with Iron Chelators. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2018; 11:ph11040112. [PMID: 30360383 PMCID: PMC6316536 DOI: 10.3390/ph11040112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron is essential for life, while excess iron can be toxic. Iron generates hydroxyl radical, which is the most reactive free radical, causing oxidative stress. Since iron is absorbed through the diet but not excreted from the body, it accumulates with age in tissues, including the retina, consequently leading to age-related toxicity. This accumulation is further promoted by inflammation. Hereditary diseases such as aceruloplasminemia, Friedreich’s ataxia, pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration, and posterior column ataxia with retinitis pigmentosa involve retinal degeneration associated with iron dysregulation. In addition to hereditary causes, dietary or parenteral iron supplementation has been recently reported to elevate iron levels in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and promote retinal degeneration. Ocular siderosis from intraocular foreign bodies or subretinal hemorrhage can also lead to retinopathy. Evidence from mice and humans suggests that iron toxicity may contribute to age-related macular degeneration pathogenesis. Iron chelators can protect photoreceptors and RPE in various mouse models. The therapeutic potential for iron chelators is under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanting Shu
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 305 Stellar-Chance Laboratory, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai Engineering Center for Visual Science and Photomedicine, Shanghai 200080, China.
| | - Joshua L Dunaief
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 305 Stellar-Chance Laboratory, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Georgakopoulos CD, Tsapardoni F, Kostopoulou EV, Makri OE. Pattern dystrophies in patients treated with deferoxamine: report of two cases and review of the literature. BMC Ophthalmol 2018; 18:246. [PMID: 30208862 PMCID: PMC6134579 DOI: 10.1186/s12886-018-0911-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Deferoxamine (DFO) is one of the most commonly used chelation treatments for transfusional hemosiderosis. Pattern dystrophies constitute a distinct entity of retinal disorders that has been occasionally identified in association with deferoxamine. Case presentation We report two cases of bilateral macular pattern dystrophy in transfusion dependent patients undergoing chronic chelation therapy with deferoxamine due to thalassemias. Our patients were evaluated with multimodal imaging and the results are presented. Both patients had normal cone and rod responses in the full-field electroretinogram and continued the prescribed chelation therapy, after hematology consult. The patients were followed up every 3 months for 2 and 4 years respectively for possible deterioration. Their best corrected visual acuity remained stable with no anatomic change on Optical Coherence Tomography findings. Conclusion Multimodal imaging of our patients allowed a better evaluation and possibly earlier detection of the DFO-related changes. Screening and close follow up of patients under chronic chelating therapy is important in order to promptly diagnose and manage possible toxicity either with discontinuation of the offending agent or dose modification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Foteini Tsapardoni
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Patras, 265 04, Patras, Greece
| | - Elli V Kostopoulou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Patras, 265 04, Patras, Greece
| | - Olga E Makri
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Patras, 265 04, Patras, Greece.
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Abstract
Cells are subject to metabolic sources of oxidizing species and to the need to regulate Fe, a redox-active metal. Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells have to contend with an additional, unique source of oxidative stress: photooxidative insult from bisretinoids that accumulate as lipofuscin. Here we report that Fe can interact with bisretinoids in RPE to promote cell damage. These findings inform disease processes in both Fe-related and bisretinoid-associated retinal degeneration. The link between Fe and bisretinoid oxidation also highlights opportunities for repurposed and combination therapies. This could include visual cycle inhibitors as a treatment for maculopathy associated with elevated retinal Fe, and Fe chelation to aid in suppressing the damaging effects of bisretinoids in juvenile and age-related macular degeneration. Intracellular Fe plays a key role in redox active energy and electron transfer. We sought to understand how Fe levels impact the retina, given that retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are also challenged by accumulations of vitamin A aldehyde adducts (bisretinoid lipofuscin) that photogenerate reactive oxygen species and photodecompose into damaging aldehyde- and dicarbonyl-bearing species. In mice treated with the Fe chelator deferiprone (DFP), intracellular Fe levels, as reflected in transferrin receptor mRNA expression, were reduced. DFP-treated albino Abca4−/− and agouti wild-type mice exhibited elevated bisretinoid levels as measured by high-performance liquid chromatography or noninvasively by quantitative fundus autofluorescence. Thinning of the outer nuclear layer, a parameter indicative of the loss of photoreceptor cell viability, was also reduced in DFP-treated albino Abca4−/−. In contrast to the effects of the Fe chelator, mice burdened with increased intracellular Fe in RPE due to deficiency in the Fe export proteins hephaestin and ceruloplasmin, presented with reduced bisretinoid levels. These findings indicate that intracellular Fe promotes bisretinoid oxidation and degradation. This interpretation was supported by experiments showing that DFP decreased the oxidative/degradation of the bisretinoid A2E in the presence of light and reduced cell death in cell-based experiments. Moreover, light-independent oxidation and degradation of A2E by Fenton chemistry products were evidenced by the consumption of A2E, release of dicarbonyls, and generation of oxidized A2E species in cell-free assays.
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Bhoiwala DL, Dunaief JL. Retinal abnormalities in β-thalassemia major. Surv Ophthalmol 2015; 61:33-50. [PMID: 26325202 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Revised: 08/15/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Patients with beta (β)-thalassemia (β-TM: β-thalassemia major, β-TI: β-thalassemia intermedia) have a variety of complications that may affect all organs, including the eye. Ocular abnormalities include retinal pigment epithelial degeneration, angioid streaks, venous tortuosity, night blindness, visual field defects, decreased visual acuity, color vision abnormalities, and acute visual loss. Patients with β-thalassemia major are transfusion dependent and require iron chelation therapy to survive. Retinal degeneration may result from either retinal iron accumulation from transfusion-induced iron overload or retinal toxicity induced by iron chelation therapy. Some who were never treated with iron chelation therapy exhibited retinopathy, and others receiving iron chelation therapy had chelator-induced retinopathy. We will focus on retinal abnormalities present in individuals with β-thalassemia major viewed in light of new findings on the mechanisms and manifestations of retinal iron toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devang L Bhoiwala
- Department of Ophthalmology, F. M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Joshua L Dunaief
- Department of Ophthalmology, F. M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Song D, Zhao L, Li Y, Hadziahmetovic M, Song Y, Connelly J, Spino M, Dunaief JL. The oral iron chelator deferiprone protects against systemic iron overload-induced retinal degeneration in hepcidin knockout mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2014; 55:4525-32. [PMID: 24970260 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.14-14568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the retinal-protective effects of the oral iron chelator deferiprone (DFP) in mice lacking the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin (Hepc). These Hepc knockout (KO) mice have age-dependent systemic and retinal iron accumulation leading to retinal degeneration. METHODS Hepc KO mice were given DFP in drinking water from age 6 to 18 months. They were then compared to Hepc KO mice not receiving DFP by fundus imaging, electroretinography (ERG), histology, immunofluorescence, and quantitative PCR to investigate the protective effect of DFP against retinal and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) degeneration. RESULTS In Hepc KO mice, DFP diminished RPE depigmentation and autofluorescence on fundus imaging. Autofluorescence in the RPE layer in cryosections was significantly diminished by DFP, consistent with the fundus images. Immunolabeling with L-ferritin and transferrin receptor antibodies showed a decreased signal for L-ferritin in the inner retina and RPE cells and an increased signal for transferrin receptor in the inner retina, indicating diminished retinal iron levels with DFP treatment. Plastic sections showed that photoreceptor and RPE cells were well preserved in Hepc KO mice treated with DFP. Consistent with photoreceptor protection, the mRNA level of rhodopsin was significantly higher in retinas treated with DFP. The mRNA levels of oxidative stress-related genes heme oxygenase-1 and catalase were significantly lower in DFP-treated Hepc KO retinas. Finally, ERG rod a- and b- and cone b-wave amplitudes were significantly higher in DFP-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS Long-term treatment with the oral iron chelator DFP diminished retinal and RPE iron levels and oxidative stress, providing significant protection against retinal degeneration caused by chronic systemic iron overload in Hepc KO mice. This indicates that iron chelation could be a long-term preventive treatment for retinal disease involving iron overload and oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delu Song
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Liangliang Zhao
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Department of Ophthalmology, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yafeng Li
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Majda Hadziahmetovic
- Department of Ophthalmology, Drexel University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ying Song
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Michael Spino
- ApoPharma, Inc., Toronto, Canada Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Joshua L Dunaief
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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