Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2022, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (7): 1596-1603.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.330622

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Lutein delays photoreceptor degeneration in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa

Hui-Jun Zhang1, 2, Xiao-Bin Liu3, Xiong-Min Chen3, Qi-Hang Kong1, Yu-Sang Liu3, Kwok-Fai So3, 5, 6, 7, Jian-Su Chen1, 4, 5, Ying Xu3, 5, 6, 7, *, Xue-Song Mi1, 5, *, Shi-Bo Tang4, 5, *   

  1. 1Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Guangzhou Panyu Central Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; 3Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; 4Laboratory of Retinal Cell Biology, Aier Eye Institute, Changsha, Hunan Province, China; 5Aier Academician Station, Changsha, Hunan Province, China; 6Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Jinan University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; 7Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Online:2022-07-15 Published:2022-01-18
  • Contact: Ying Xu, PhD, xuying@jnu.edu.cn; Xue-Song Mi, MD, PhD, mxsong@163.com; Shi-Bo Tang, MD, PhD, tangshibo@vip.163.com.
  • Supported by:
    The study was supported by Aier Eye Hospital Group, Nos. AF2019001 and AF2019002 (to SBT, KFS, YX and XSM); the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82074169 (to XSM); Guangzhou Key Projects of Brain Science and Brain-Like Intelligence Technology of China, No. 20200730009 (to YX); Guangdong Grant Key Technologies for Treatment of Brain Disorders, China, No. 2018B030332001 (to YX); Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China, No. 2021A1515012473 (to XSM) and Project of Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Guangdong Province, No. 20202045 (to XSM).

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Abstract: Retinitis pigmentosa is a retinal disease characterized by photoreceptor degeneration. There is currently no effective treatment for retinitis pigmentosa. Although a mixture of lutein and other antioxidant agents has shown promising effects in protecting the retina from degeneration, the role of lutein alone remains unclear. In this study, we administered intragastric lutein to Pde6brd10 model mice, which display degeneration of retinal photoreceptors, on postnatal days 17 (P17) to P25, when rod apoptosis reaches peak. Lutein at the optimal protective dose of 200 mg/kg promoted the survival of photoreceptors compared with vehicle control. Lutein increased rhodopsin expression in rod cells and opsin expression in cone cells, in line with an increased survival rate of photoreceptors. Functionally, lutein improved visual behavior, visual acuity, and retinal electroretinogram responses in Pde6brd10 mice. Mechanistically, lutein reduced the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in Müller glial cells. The results of this study confirm the ability of lutein to postpone photoreceptor degeneration by reducing reactive gliosis of Müller cells in the retina and exerting anti-inflammatory effects. This study was approved by the Laboratory Animal Ethics Committee of Jinan University (approval No. LACUC-20181217-02) on December 17, 2018.

Key words: anti-inflammation, glial fibrillary acidic protein, lutein, microglia, Pde6brd10 (rd10) mouse, photoreceptor, reactive gliosis, retinal degeneration, retinal disease, retinitis pigmentosa