title: The effect of thalidomide on vascular endothelial growth factor and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the effects of thalidomide treatment on the temporal course of TNF-alpha, VEGF production and the histopathological changes in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injured guinea pigs retina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Control, ischemia, and thalidomide/ischemia groups including seven animals each were formed. Retinal ischemia was induced in male guinea pigs by cannulating anterior chambers and lifting the bottle to a height of 205 cm for 90 min in the ischemia and thalidomide/ischemia groups. The thalidomide/ischemia group received thalidomide (300 mg/kg/day) via nasogastric tube 24 h before ischemia and during 7 days of reperfusion. Guinea pigs were sacrificed for histopathological examination to evaluate the mean thickness of the inner plexiform layer (IPL), polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) infiltration, and biochemical analysis of retinal VEGF and TNF-alpha levels by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean retinal VEGF and TNF-alpha levels of the control, ischemia, and thalidomide/ischemia groups were 10.22 +/- 2.58 and 270.41 +/- 69.77 pg/ml; 35.80 +/- 5.97 and 629.93 +/- 146.41 pg/ml; 19.01 +/- 3.01 and 340.93 +/- 158.26 pg/ml, respectively. The retinal VEGF levels were significantly higher in I/R injured groups. The thalidomide/ischemia group retinal VEGF level was significantly lower versus the ischemia group. The retinal TNF-alpha levels were significantly elevated in the ischemia group, but no difference was observed between the thalidomide/ischemia and control groups. Also, the retinal TNF-alpha level was significantly lower in the thalidomide/ischemia group versus the ischemia group. The mean thickness of IPL and PMNL infiltration showed no difference between the control and thalidomide/ischemia groups. However, there was a significant difference between the control and ischemia groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thalidomide treatment decreases PMNL infiltration, retinal edema, VEGF, and TNF-alpha synthesis following I/R injury to the guinea pig retina.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Firat University School of Medicine, Elaziğ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Semih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydoğan
authors.forename: Ulkü
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Celiker
authors.forename: Peykan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Türkçüoğlu
authors.forename: Nevin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ilhan
authors.forename: Nusret
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akpolat
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000187:drug effects; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*