title: Retinal ganglion cell death is triggered by paraptosis via reactive oxygen species production: a brief literature review presenting a novel hypothesis in glaucoma pathology.
abstract: Accumulative evidence has indicated that apoptosis is the common pathway for retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death and that autophagy promotes survival of RGCs in glaucoma. In the present review, it was hypothesized that the progressive death of RGCs in glaucoma involves another novel non‑apoptotic programmed cell death, known as 'paraptosis', in the early stages of glaucoma. Paraptosis may be accompanied by apoptosis and/or autophagy in the moderate and severe stages. The secondary hypothesis suggests that paraptosis in glaucomatous RGCs may be triggered by damage to cellular mitochondria, and is associated with mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS). Our preliminary laboratory studies, using transmission electron microscopy, provided evidence that supports the primary hypothesis. The secondary hypothesis is currently under investigation. These two hypotheses provide a novel way to investigate the mechanisms of cell death in glaucomatous RGCs and targeting paraptosis may be a promising strategy for RGC-protecting drug discovery.
authors: Eye Institute and Affiliated Xiamen Eye Center, Xiamen University, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, P.R. China.
authors: Yao
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, First Hospital of Xi'an, Shaanxi Institute of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710002, P.R. China.
authors: Kun
authors: K
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, First Hospital of Xi'an, Shaanxi Institute of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710002, P.R. China.
authors: Hongbing
authors: H
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, First Hospital of Xi'an, Shaanxi Institute of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710002, P.R. China.
authors: Junhong
authors: J
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, First Hospital of Xi'an, Shaanxi Institute of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710002, P.R. China.
authors: Xiuping
authors: X
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, First Hospital of Xi'an, Shaanxi Institute of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710002, P.R. China.
authors: Yangzheng
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Eye Institute and Affiliated Xiamen Eye Center, Xiamen University, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, P.R. China.
authors: Renyi
authors: R
authors: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001343:Autophagy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012168:Retinal Pigments / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012168:Retinal Pigments