title: Neuroprotective effect of citicoline against KA-induced neurotoxicity in the rat retina.
abstract: We examined whether citicoline has neuroprotective effect on kainic acid (KA)-induced retinal damage. KA (6 nmol) was injected into the vitreous of rat eyes. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with citicoline (500 mgkg-1, i.p.) twice (09:00 and 21:00) daily for 1, 3 and 7 days after KA-injection. The neuroprotective effects of citicoline were estimated by measuring the thickness of the various retinal layers. In addition, immunohistochemistry was conducted to elucidate the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Morphometric analysis of retinal damage in KA-injected eyes showed a significant cell loss in the inner nuclear layer (INL) and inner plexiform layer (IPL) of the retinas at the 1, 3 and 7 days after KA injection, but not in the outer nuclear layers (ONL). At 1 and 3 days after citicoline treatment, no significant changes were detected in the retinal thickness and immunoreactivities of ChAT and TH. The immunoreactivities of ChAT and TH had almost disappeared in the retina after 7 days of KA injection. However, prolonged citicoline treatment for 7 days significantly attenuated the reduction of retinal thickness and immunoreactivities of ChAT and TH. The present study suggests that treatment with citicoline has neuroprotective effect on the retinal damage due to KA-induced neurotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Institute of Health Science, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, 92 Chilam-dong, Jinju, Kyungnam 660-751, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Hwan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yoon Sook
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hae Sook
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Eun Woo
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Young Ae
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ji Myong
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Wan Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Gyeong Jae
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007608:Kainic Acid; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000201:enzymology; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D007608:Kainic Acid