Genistein blunts the negative effect of ischaemia to the retina caused by an elevation of intraocular pressure.
OBJECTIVE
Deduce whether the isoflavone genistein blunts the effect of ischaemia to the retina.


METHODS
Ischaemia was induced in rats by raising the intraocular pressure (120 mm Hg) for 50 min. Genistein (10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 1 h before and after ischaemia. Seven days after ischaemia, the level of mRNAs for neurofilament light (NF-L), caspase 3, caspase 8, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), Thy-1 and proteins (GFAP, NF-L, PARP) in whole retinas were determined. NF-L and tubulin proteins in optic nerves were also determined. Retinas were also processed for the localization of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and GFAP immunoreactivities.


RESULTS
Ischaemia caused a significant reduction in ganglion cell proteins in the optic nerve (NF-L and tubulin) and retina (NF-L). Retinal Thy-1 (mRNA and protein) and NF-L (mRNA) were also reduced while mRNAs of caspase 3, caspase 8, PARP and GFAP (also protein) were increased. Changes in the mRNAs and proteins induced by ischaemia were significantly blunted by genistein with the exception of the increase in GFAP and PARP protein/mRNA levels. Ischaemia-induced changes in the localization of ChAT were also clearly attenuated by genistein treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Genistein blunts most of the damaging effects caused to the retina by ischaemia.
Kamalden
T A
TA
Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Ji
D
D
Fawcett
R J
RJ
Osborne
N N
NN
D000818:Animals; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000235:genetics; D021983:Cyclophilins / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D019833:Genistein / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011064:Poly Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose / Q000235:genetics; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000235:genetics
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; C044882:neurofilament protein L; C024857:poly(ADP)-ribosylated proteins; D011064:Poly Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose; D019833:Genistein; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; C505528:Casp8 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D021983:Cyclophilins