Improving retinal mitochondrial function as a treatment for age-related macular degeneration

Autor: Mara C. Ebeling, Jorge R. Polanco, Jun Qu, Chengjian Tu, Sandra R. Montezuma, Deborah A. Ferrington
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Redox Biology, Vol 34, Iss , Pp 101552- (2020)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2213-2317
55855962
DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101552
Popis: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly. Currently, there are no treatments for dry AMD, which is characterized by the death of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptors. Reports from human donors with AMD suggest that RPE mitochondrial defects are a key event in AMD pathology. Thus, the most effective strategy for treating dry AMD is to identify compounds that enhance mitochondrial function and subsequently, preserve the RPE. In this study, primary cultures of RPE from human donors with (n = 20) or without (n = 8) AMD were used to evaluate compounds that are designed to protect mitochondria from oxidative damage (N-acetyl-l-cysteine; NAC), remove damaged mitochondria (Rapamycin), increase mitochondrial biogenesis (Pyrroloquinoline quinone; PQQ), and improve oxidative phosphorylation (Nicotinamide mononucleotide, NMN). Mitochondrial function measured after drug treatments showed an AMD-dependent response; only RPE from donors with AMD showed improvements. All four drugs caused a significant increase in maximal respiration (p
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals