title: Leaves of Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) Ameliorate N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-Induced Retinal Degeneration in Mice.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to investigate the protective effects of the ethanol extract of Diospyros kaki (EEDK) persimmon leaves to study N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced retinal degeneration in mice. EEDK was orally administered after MNU injection. Retinal layer thicknesses were significantly increased in the EEDK-treated group compared with the MNU-treated group. The outer nuclear layer was preserved in the retinas of EEDK-treated mice. Moreover, EEDK treatment reduced the MNU-dependent up-regulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and nestin expression in Müller and astrocyte cells. EEDK treatment also inhibited MNU-dependent down-regulation of rhodopsin expression. Quercetin exposure significantly attenuated the negative effects of H2O2 in R28 cells, suggesting that quercetin can act in an antioxidative capacity. Thus, EEDK may be considered as an agent for treating or preventing degenerative retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) , Gangneung, Korea.|Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Science and Technology (UST) , Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) , Gangneung, Korea.
authors.forename: Suk Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) , Gangneung, Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Ryul
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) , Gangneung, Korea.
authors.forename: Youngwoo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ulsan, Gangneung Asan Hospital , Gangneung, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) , Gangneung, Korea.|Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Science and Technology (UST) , Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029788:Diospyros / Q000737:chemistry*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008770:Methylnitrosourea / Q000009:adverse effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; D010936:Plant Extracts; C528900:glial fibrillary astrocytic protein, mouse; D008770:Methylnitrosourea
keywords: Diospyros kaki; N-methyl-N-nitrosourea; persimmon; photoreceptor; retinal degeneration