Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2024, Vol. 19 ›› Issue (10): 2290-2298.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.390958

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Lycium barbarum glycopeptide (wolfberry extract) slows N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced degradation of photoreceptors

Qihang Kong1, 2, #, Xiu Han3, #, Haiyang Cheng3, Jiayu Liu2, Huijun Zhang2, 4, Tangrong Dong5, Jiansu Chen1, 6, Kwok-Fai So3, 6, 7, 8, Xuesong Mi2, 6, *, Ying Xu3, 6, 7, *, Shibo Tang1, 6, *   

  1. 1Department of Ophthalmology, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; 2Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; 3Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; 4Department of Ophthalmology, Guangzhou Panyu Central Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; 5School of Stomatology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; 6Aier Academician Station, Changsha, Hunan Province, China; 7Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China; 8State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Hong Kong  Special Administrative Region, China
  • Online:2024-10-15 Published:2024-01-29
  • Contact: Xuesong Mi, MD, PhD, mxsong@163.com; Ying Xu, PhD, xuying@jnu.edu.cn; Shibo Tang, MD, PhD, tangshibo@vip.163.com.
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by Guangzhou Key Projects of Brain Science and Brain-Like Intelligence Technology, No. 20200730009 (to YX), the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82074169 (to XM); the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation, No. 2021A1515012473 (to XM) and Project of Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Guangdong Province, No. 20202045 (to XM); Aier Eye Hospital Group, No. AF2019001 (to ST, KFS, YX, and XM).

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Abstract: Photoreceptor cell degeneration leads to blindness, for which there is currently no effective treatment. Our previous studies have shown that Lycium barbarum (L. barbarum) polysaccharide (LBP) protects degenerated photoreceptors in rd1, a transgenic mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa. L. barbarum glycopeptide (LbGP) is an immunoreactive glycoprotein extracted from LBP. In this study, we investigated the potential protective effect of LbGP on a chemically induced photoreceptor-degenerative mouse model. Wild-type mice received the following: oral administration of LbGP as a protective pre-treatment on days 1–7; intraperitoneal administration of 40 mg/kg N-methyl-N-nitrosourea to induce photoreceptor injury on day 7; and continuation of orally administered LbGP on days 8–14. Treatment with LbGP increased photoreceptor survival and improved the structure of photoreceptors, retinal photoresponse, and visual behaviors of mice with photoreceptor degeneration. LbGP was also found to partially inhibit the activation of microglia in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-injured retinas and significantly decreased the expression of two pro-inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, LbGP effectively slowed the rate of photoreceptor degeneration in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-injured mice, possibly through an anti-inflammatory mechanism, and has potential as a candidate drug for the clinical treatment of photoreceptor degeneration.

Key words: anti-inflammation, inherited retinal diseases, Lycium barbarum glycopeptide, N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, opsin, photoreceptor, reactive gliosis, retinal degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, rhodopsin