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Eye (2012) 26, 144152 & 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 0950-222X/12
http://www.nature.com/eye
Web End =www.nature.com/eye
Z Xie1,2,3,4, F Chen1,2,4, X Wu3, C Zhuang1,2,
J Zhu1,2, J Wang1,2, H Ji1,2, Y Wang1,2 and X Hua1,2
LABORATORYSTUDY
Safety and efcacy of intravitreal injection of recombinant erythropoietin for protection of photoreceptor cells in a rat model of retinal detachment
1Department of Ophthalmology, Clinical Medical School, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
2Department of Ophthalmology, Subei Peoples Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
3Department of Ophthalmology, Afliated First Peoples Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Correspondence: Z Xie, Department of Ophthalmology, Clinical Medical School, Yangzhou University, Subei Peoples Hospital of Jiangsu Province, No. 98, Nantong West Road, Yangzhou,Jiangsu 225001, ChinaTel: 86 514 87937655;
Fax: 86 514 87937655.
E-mail: mailto:[email protected]
Web End [email protected]
4These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract
Purpose To elucidate the safety and efcacy of exogenous erythropoietin (EPO) for the protection of photoreceptor cells in a rat model of retinal detachment (RD).
Methods Recombinant rat EPO (400 ng) was injected into the vitreous cavity of normal rats to observe the eye manifestations. Retinal function was assessed by ash electroretinograms. Histopathological examination of retinal tissue was performed at 14 days and 2 months after injection, respectively. To investigate the inhibitory effect of EPO on photoreceptor cell apoptosis in RD rats, 100, 200, or 400 ng EPO was injected into the vitreous cavity immediately afterRD model establishment. Apoptosis of photoreceptor cells was determined at 3 days after injection. Caspase-3 activation was measured by western blot analysis and immunouorescence, respectively, and the level of Bcl-XL expression was analyzedby western blot.
Results Intravitreal injection of EPO 400 ng into normal rats had no signicant impact on retinal function, morphology, or structure. Apoptosis of retinal photoreceptor cells apparently increased after RD and was signicantly reduced following EPO treatment. The thickness of the outer nuclear layer in the RD 400 ng group was
signicantly thicker than that in other experimental RD groups both at 14 days and at 2 months after RD (Po0.05). Western blot and immunouorescence analyses showed
decreased caspase-3 activation and increased Bcl-XL expression following EPO treatment. Conclusion Intravitreal injection of EPO400 ng is safe, and EPO may suppress caspase-3 activation and enhance Bcl-XL expression,...