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Abstract #77256 Published in IGR 19-3
Inhibition of retinal ganglion cell apoptosis: regulation of mitochondrial function by PACAP
Cheng HH; Ye H; Peng RP; Deng J; Ding YNeural Regeneration Research 2018; 13: 923-929
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is an endogenous peptide with neuroprotective effects on retinal neurons, but the precise mechanism underlying these effects remains unknown. Considering the abundance of mitochondria in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), we postulate that the protective effect of PACAP is associated with the regulation of mitochondrial function. RGC-5 cells were subjected to serum deprivation for 48 hours to induce apoptosis in the presence or absence of 100 nM PACAP. As revealed with the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, PACAP at different concentrations significantly increased the viability of RGC-5 cells. PACAP also inhibited the excessive generation of reactive oxygen species in RGC-5 cells subjected to serum deprivation. We also showed by flow cytometry that PACAP inhibited serum deprivation-induced apoptosis in RGC-5 cells. The proportions of apoptotic cells and cells with mitochondria depolarization were significantly decreased with PACAP treatment. Western blot assays demonstrated that PACAP increased the levels of Bcl-2 and inhibited the compensatory increase of PAC1. Together, these data indicate protective effects of PACAP against serum deprivation-induced apoptosis in RGCs, and that the mechanism of this action is associated with maintaining mitochondrial function.
Department of Ophthalmology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
Full articleClassification:
11.8 Neuroprotection (Part of: 11 Medical treatment)
3.6 Cellular biology (Part of: 3 Laboratory methods)