Apigenin-7-diglucuronide protects retinas against bright light-induced photoreceptor degeneration through the inhibition of retinal oxidative stress and inflammation.
Vision impairment in retinal degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration is primarily associated with photoreceptor degeneration, in which oxidative stress and inflammatory responses are mechanistically involved as central players. Therapies with photoreceptor protective properties remain to be developed. Apigenin-7-diglucuronide (A7DG), a flavonoid glycoside, is present in an assortment of medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory or ant-oxidant activities. However, the pharmacological significance of A7DG remains unknown in vivo. The current study isolated A7DG from Glechoma longituba (Nakai) Kuprian and investigated the retinal protective effect A7DG in mice characterized by bright light-induced photoreceptor degeneration. The results showed that A7DG treatment led to remarkable photoreceptor protection in bright light-exposed BALB/c mice. Moreover, A7DG treatment alleviated photoreceptor apoptosis, mitigated oxidative stress, suppressed reactive gliosis and microglial activation and attenuated the expression of proinflammatory genes in bright light-exposed retinas. The results demonstrated for the first time remarkable photoreceptor protective activities of A7DG in vivo. Inhibition of bright light-induced retinal oxidative stress and retinal inflammatory responses was associated with the retinal protection conferred by A7DG. The work here warrants further evaluation of A7DG as a pharmacological candidate for the treatment of vision-threatening retinal degenerative disorders. Moreover, given the general implication of oxidative stress and inflammation in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration, A7DG could be further tested for the treatment of other neurodegenerative disorders.
Yueyang Hospital and Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200437, China.
Minjuan
M
Bian
Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
Yong
Y
Zhang
Yueyang Hospital and Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200437, China.
Xiaoye
X
Du
East China University of Science and Technology School of Pharmacy, Shanghai 200237, China.
Jing
J
Xu
Yueyang Hospital and Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200437, China.
Jingang
J
Cui
East China University of Science and Technology School of Pharmacy, Shanghai 200237, China.
Jiangping
J
Gu
Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
Weiliang
W
Zhu
Yueyang Hospital and Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200437, China. Electronic address: zhangteng501@hotmail.com.
Teng
T
Zhang
Yueyang Hospital and Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200437, China. Electronic address: chenyu6639@hotmai.com.
Yu
Y
Chen
D000818:Animals; D047310:Apigenin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000187:drug effects; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D008027:Light / Q000009:adverse effects; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000473:pathology; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000473:pathology
D020011:Protective Agents; C057792:apigetrin; D047310:Apigenin
Apigenin-7-diglucuronide; Oxidative stress; Photoreceptor degeneration; Retinal inflammation