title: KIOM-79 prevents methyglyoxal-induced retinal pericyte apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of KIOM-79, a combination of four plant extracts, on retinal pericytes loss, which is one of the histopathological hallmarks of early diabetic retinopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate the protective effect of KIOM-79 on pericyte apoptosis, we have used methylglyoxal (MGO)-treated primary rat retinal pericytes and retinal vessels from intravitreally MGO-injected eyes. Primary rat retinal pericytes were exposed to 400 microM MGO for 6h with or without KIOM-79. 400 microM final intravitreal concentration of MGO with or without KIOM-79 (10 microg/ml final intravitreal concentration) were intravitreally injected into the right eyes of rats for 2 days. The left eyes were received 3mul of saline only. Retinal vessels were then isolated. We examined apoptosis, ROS productions, 8-OHdG in cultured rat retinal pericytes and retinal vessels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In CCK-8 assay and TUNEL staining, MGO-induced apoptosis of rat retinal pericytes was markedly inhibited by KIOM-79. KIOM-79 significantly reduced intracellular ROS productions and oxidative damage induced by MGO. In addition, the intravitreal injection of KIOM-79 prevented apoptosis of retinal microvascular cells, MGO accumulation and oxidative DNA damage in intravitreally MGO-injected eye.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These observations suggest that KIOM-79 acts through an antioxidant mechanism to protect against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in retinal pericytes.
authors.affiliation: Diabetic Complications Research Center, Division of Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) Intergrated Research, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ohn Soon
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Junghyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chan-Sik
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Nan Hee
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000517:prevention & control; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008845:Microinjections; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D020286:Pericytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011765:Pyruvaldehyde / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; C517978:KIOM 79; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011765:Pyruvaldehyde