title: Antioxidant protection in cultured corneal cells and whole corneas submitted to UV-B exposure.
abstract: Several corneal pathologies are characterized by the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS); therefore, we evaluated the protection afforded by pirenoxine and melatonin to corneal cell culture and whole rabbit cornea from ultraviolet exposure and other oxidant systems. Rabbit cornea cell (SIRC) plates and whole corneas were exposed to UV-B (80 or 800 mJ/cm2) or incubated with fMLP-stimulated autologous macrophages, in the presence or absence of pirenoxine or melatonin (10(-5) M). The protective activity of compounds was assessed by measuring superoxide anion formation, inhibition of oxidation and mitochondrial viability. Moreover the ex vivo protective effect of pirenoxine and melatonin was verified in the whole cornea submitted to UV-B exposure in vitro. Our experimental data demonstrate that pirenoxine and melatonin were able to inhibit the superoxide formation and oxidative effect in cell culture and whole rabbit corneas submitted to UV-B exposure or to incubation with fMLP-stimulated autologous macrophages. Mitochondrial viability was restored in epithelial cells of rabbit cornea but not in SIRCs. Moreover, both compounds are also able to increase ex vivo epithelial corneal cell defences against the in vitro UV-B induced lipid peroxidation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Florence, V.le Pieraccini 6, Florence 50139, Italy. mario.ciuffi@unifi.it
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciuffi
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pisanello
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pagliai
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Raimondi
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franchi-Micheli
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cantore
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mazzetti
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Failli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D010078:Oxazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010078:Oxazines; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C004580:pirenoxine