title: Protective effect of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) on the recovery of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced retinal damage in a rat model.
abstract: The present study demonstrates capacity of α-MSH to augment recovery from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced retinal damage in vivo and correlation of its protective effects with expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Used techniques include ocular ischemia and reperfusion, electroretinography, histology, electron microscopy, and molecular-biological techniques. The results demonstrate the α-MSH-mediated inhibition of I/R-induced functional deterioration of the retina. Outcomes suggest that the protective effects of α-MSH occur mainly through HO-1-dependent pathways but HO-1-independent mechanisms may also contribute to protection. The observation that post-ischemic treatment with α-MSH exhibits therapeutic efficacy in the same range as pre-ischemic treatment, is a novel result. This outcome suggests a highly conserved protective role for α-MSH as a major stress response mechanism--and offers the possibility for development of novel therapeutic strategies utilizing this hormone, in particular in treatment of conditions resulting from I/R injury, such as deterioration of retinal microcirculation. The merit of the study lies in the fact that I/R injury contribute significantly to the severity of retinopathies. However, currently there are no evidence-based treatments for retinal I/R injury available for clinical use. Our finding suggests that α-MSH may have a very wide range of uses in the prevention of I/R-mediated pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary. varga.balazs@pharm.unideb.hu
authors.forename: Balazs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Varga
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gesztelyi
authors.forename: Mariann
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bombicz
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.forename: Adrienn Monika
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Szabo
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kemeny-Beke
authors.forename: Miklos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antal
authors.forename: Miklos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vecsernyes
authors.forename: Bela
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Juhasz
authors.forename: Arpad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tosaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004596:Electroretinography; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D000521:alpha-MSH; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1