title: [Effect of extract of Lycium barbarum L. on adult human retinal nerve cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study possible protective effects of extract of Lycium barbarum L. on the cultured human retinal nerve cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retinal nerve cells were co-cultured with the extract of Lycium barbarum L. and 24 hours and 72 hours later, retinal nerve cells were respectively used to evaluate cell proliferation with MTT assays; to observe ultracellular structural alternation with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and to evaluate mitochondrial membrane potentials (MMP) of cells with confocal microscopy. The peaks of MMP between experiment group and control group were compared using one-way analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Co-cultured retinal nerve cells with the extract were shown survival well under the TEM including photoreceptor segments remaining well, abundant mitochondria in inner segments and well-distributed chromatin in photoreceptor nucleus (F = 124.110, P < 0.05). The addition of the extract promoted survival of adult retinal neurons significantly in concentration-dependent manner with the strongest effect in 20 g/L. Cell survival rate (24 h and 72 h); (223.23 ± 12.13)% and (252.35 ± 13.24)%. The peak of MMP increased 848% after the first adding of the extract (P = 0.000) and 1152% after the second adding of the extract (P = 0.000). It showed that the extract could enhance the MMP significantly with undulatory property.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The extract of Lycium barbarum L. showed protective effects on cultured cells and could be used in treatment of some retinal diseases in future.
authors.affiliation: Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Jin-jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gen-lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D032305:Lycium / Q000737:chemistry; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology; D055351:Retinal Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts