title: Effect of curcumin on aging retinal pigment epithelial cells.
abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is now one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly population. The antioxidative effects of curcumin on aging retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are still unclear. We conducted an in vitro study to investigate the effects of curcumin on aging RPE cells. A pulsed H2O2 exposure aging model was adopted. Aging RPE cells were treated with curcumin 20 µM, 40 µM, and 80 µM. Apoptosis of RPE cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. The intracellular reactive oxygen species concentration was detected using a specific probe and apoptosis-associated proteins were detected by Western blot. Expression of oxidative biomarkers, including superoxide dismutase, maleic dialdehyde, and glutathione, was detected commercially available assay kits. Compared with normal cells, lower cell viability, higher apoptosis rates, and more severe oxidation status were identified in the aging RPE cell model. Curcumin improved cell viability and decreased apoptosis and oxidative stress. Further, curcumin had a significant influence on expression of apoptosis-associated proteins and oxidative stress biomarkers. In conclusion, treatment with curcumin was able to regulate proliferation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in aging RPE cells. Accordingly, application of curcumin may be a novel strategy to protect against age-related change in AMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Changshu No 2 People's Hospital, Changshu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan Affiliated with Jiangsu University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Changshu No 2 People's Hospital, Changshu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Changshu No 2 People's Hospital, Changshu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jin-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Changshu No 2 People's Hospital, Changshu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Changshu No 2 People's Hospital, Changshu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Changshu No 2 People's Hospital, Changshu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: age-related macular degeneration; apoptosis; curcumin; retinal pigment epithelium