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Abstract #86144 Published in IGR 21-2
Oral administration of the iron chelator deferiprone protects against loss of retinal ganglion cells in a mouse model of glaucoma
Cui QN; Bargoud AR; Ross AG; Song Y; Dunaief JLExperimental Eye Research 2020; 193: 107961
Glaucoma is a progressive neurodegenerative process affecting the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and the optic nerve. Oxidative stress has been implicated in glaucoma pathogenesis, and iron is a potent generator of oxidative stress. The oral iron chelator deferiprone (DFP) is protective against retinal degenerations associated with oxidative stress. To test whether DFP could be protective in glaucoma, we used microbead injections to induce elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in a cohort of 3-month old C57BL/6J mice. One eye of each animal was injected with magnetic microbeads resulting in ocular hypertension for >7 weeks while the fellow eye was injected with saline and served as a normotensive internal control. While half of the cohort received oral DFP (1 mg/ml in the drinking water), the other half did not and served as controls. After 8 weeks, Brn3a immunolabeling of flat-mounted retinas was used for manual RGC quantification. Axon counts were obtained from thin sections of optic nerves using the AxonJ plugin for ImageJ. DFP administration was protective against RGC and optic nerve loss in the setting of elevated IOP. These results suggest that iron chelation by DFP may provide glaucoma neuroprotection.
Department of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. Electronic address: qi.cui@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Full articleClassification:
3.8 Pharmacology (Part of: 3 Laboratory methods)
5.1 Rodent (Part of: 5 Experimental glaucoma; animal models)
11.8 Neuroprotection (Part of: 11 Medical treatment)
