Effect of trimetazidine on retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of trimetazidine (TMZ), an antioxidant agent, on the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rat retina histopathologically.


METHODS
The retinal I/R model was carried out by the 4-vessel occlusion method on Wistar albino rats. Twenty-one rats were divided into 7 groups, each comprising 3 rats. The animals in groups 1, 2 and 3 underwent 30 min of ischemia + 4 h of reperfusion and were treated by the administration of saline, TMZ before reperfusion and TMZ before ischemia, respectively. The animals in groups 4, 5 and 6 underwent 90 min of ischemia + 4 h of reperfusion and were treated in the same way as those in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The 7th group was sham operated.


RESULTS
Thirty and 90 min of ischemia followed by 4 h of reperfusion induced retinal injury in the rat retina. Histopathologically, the inner plexiform and inner nuclear layers were the most affected parts. TMZ was able to reduce almost all retinal I/R damage when administered before ischemia. A cytoprotective effect of TMZ was partly observed in those animals which were treated before reperfusion.


CONCLUSIONS
TMZ seemed to have a protective effect against retinal I/R injury in rats.
Ozden
S
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Pamukkale University Medical School, Denizli, Turkey. serapesma@yahoo.com
Kildaci
B
B
Muftuoglu
S
S
Cakar
N
N
Yildirim
C
C
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014292:Trimetazidine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D014292:Trimetazidine