Edaravone (MCI-186), a free radical scavenger, attenuates retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of edaravone (MCI-186), a free radical scavenger, against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in the rat retina.


METHODS
Retinal ischemia was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by elevating intraocular pressure to 110 mmHg for 60 min. The rats were intraperitoneally injected with edaravone at a dose of 3 mg/kg at 30 min before ischemia, and then treated with edaravone (3 mg/kg, ip) twice daily for 1 or 5 d after I/R. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the retinal tissues were determined on d 1 after I/R injury. The apoptosis of retinal neurons was detected on d 1 after I/R injury by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated digoxigenin-dUTP nick-end labeling staining. The electroretinogram (ERG) was recorded on d 5 after reperfusion.


RESULTS
Edaravone lowered MDA levels, raised SOD activity, and attenuated I/R-induced apoptosis of retinal neurons within the inner nuclear, ganglion cell, and outer nuclear layers of the rat retina. Moreover, edaravone suppressed I/R-induced reduction in a- and b-wave amplitudes of ERG.


CONCLUSIONS
Edaravone can protect the retina from I/R injury in rats through reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting apoptosis of retinal neurons, which suggests that edaravone might be a potential choice for the treatment of I/R-induced eye disorders.
Ophthalmic Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
Yi
Y
Song
Yuan-yuan
YY
Gong
Zheng-gao
ZG
Xie
Cai-hong
CH
Li
Qing
Q
Gu
Xing-wei
XW
Wu
D000818:Animals; D000983:Antipyrine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D000077553:Edaravone; D004596:Electroretinography; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000077553:Edaravone; D000983:Antipyrine