title: Astaxanthin Protects Against Retinal Damage: Evidence from In Vivo and In Vitro Retinal Ischemia and Reperfusion Models.
abstract: Astaxanthin exhibits various pharmacological activities, including anti-oxidative, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory effects, and is thought to exert a neuroprotective effect via these mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of astaxanthin on neuronal cell death using a retinal ischemia/reperfusion model.
  
  
  
  In vivo, retinal ischemia was induced by 5 h unilateral ligation of the pterygopalatine artery (PPA) and the external carotid artery (ECA) in ddY mice. Astaxanthin (100 mg/kg) was administered orally 1 h before induction of ischemia, immediately after reperfusion, at 6 or 12 h after reperfusion, and twice daily for the following 4 days. Histological analysis and an electroretinogram (ERG) were performed 5 days after ischemia/reperfusion. In vitro, cell death was induced in the RGC-5 (retinal precursor cells) by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), and the rates of cell death and production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using nuclear staining and a ROS reactive reagent, CM-H2DCFDA.
  
  
  
  Histological studies revealed that astaxanthin significantly reduced retinal ischemic damage and ERG reduction. In in vitro studies, astaxanthin inhibited cell death and ROS production in a concentration-dependent manner.
  
  
  
  Collectively, these results indicate that astaxanthin inhibits ischemia-induced retinal cell death via its antioxidant effect. Hence, astaxanthin might be effective in treating retinal ischemic pathologies.
authors.affiliation: a Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation , Gifu Pharmaceutical University , Gifu , Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.affiliation: a Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation , Gifu Pharmaceutical University , Gifu , Japan.
authors.forename: Masamitsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimazawa
authors.affiliation: a Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation , Gifu Pharmaceutical University , Gifu , Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: a Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation , Gifu Pharmaceutical University , Gifu , Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.affiliation: a Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation , Gifu Pharmaceutical University , Gifu , Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ojino
authors.affiliation: a Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation , Gifu Pharmaceutical University , Gifu , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Izawa
authors.affiliation: a Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation , Gifu Pharmaceutical University , Gifu , Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuruma
authors.affiliation: b Specialty and Performance Chemicals Department 2, Biotechnology Business Section , JX Nippon Oil and Energy Corporation , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.affiliation: a Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation , Gifu Pharmaceutical University , Gifu , Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004596:Electroretinography; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D007511:Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D024341:Xanthophylls; C005948:astaxanthine
keywords: Astaxanthin; ROS; ischemia; neuroprotection; retina