A combination treatment based on drug repurposing demonstrates mutation agnostic efficacy in pre-clinical retinopathy models. [RNA-seq: RPE65-KO]
To determine the gene expression changes in the retina of two separate groups (experimental groups: vehicle and TMB) of Rpe65-/- mice at P64, as well as one group of age-matched wild-type mice (healthy). Mice in the TMB group received dietary administration of tamsulosin, metoprolol and bromocriptine drug cocktail between P22-P64. All other mice received base/vehicle diet. Overall design: Mice were housed in normal laboratory conditions with ad libitum feeding. Dietary tamsulosin, metoprolol and bromocriptine (TMB) administration were started in Rpe65-/- mice (n=5) at P22. Another group of Rpe65-/- mice (n=4) remained on a base diet (vehicle). At P64, the mice were euthanized under ketamine & xylazine anesthesia, and the eyes were enucleated, retinas dissected, and RNA was extracted from the one retina per mouse. One group of 2-month-old C57BL/6J mice (healthy control, n=3) experienced the same housing conditions and were euthanized for sample collection under ketamine & xylazine anesthesia.