title: Synergistic protective effects of escin and low‑dose glucocorticoids against vascular endothelial growth factor‑induced blood‑retinal barrier breakdown in retinal pigment epithelial and umbilical vein endothelial cells.
abstract: Previous studies have shown that escin possesses glucocorticoid (GC)‑like anti‑edematous and anti‑inﬂammatory effects. The present study was designed to investigate whether escin exhibits synergistic protective effects against blood‑retinal barrier (BRB) breakdown when combined with GC in an in vitro monolayer BRB model, based on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The results showed that low concentrations of escin and triamcinolone acetonide (TA) administered separately did not affect BRB trans‑endothelial (epithelium) resistance (TEER). However, when administered together, escin and TA significantly inhibited reduced BRB TEER following treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Furthermore, low‑concentrations of escin and TA administered together significantly increased the expression levels of occludin and ZO‑1. This demonstrates that escin and GC have synergistic protective effects against BRB breakdown, and the molecular mechanisms may be related to the upregulation of occludin and ZO‑1 expression. The combination of escin with GC indicates a potential beneficial strategy for the treatment of breakdown of the BRB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong 264001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Fenglan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong 264001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xuejing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Man
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong 264001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Huajun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong 264001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Limei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong 264001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuanbin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001813:Blood-Retinal Barrier / Q000187:drug effects*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004357:Drug Synergism; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004928:Escin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D062793:Occludin / Q000378:metabolism; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology; D012168:Retinal Pigments / Q000378:metabolism; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D062793:Occludin; D020011:Protective Agents; D012168:Retinal Pigments; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; D004928:Escin; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide