OR379
   
 

Triptolide protects retinal ganglion cells in a rat chronic glaucoma model

1. Dongmei Wang
2. Lingling Wu

Department of Ophthalmology,Third Hospital of Peking University,Beijing,China

Purpose This present study was to investigate triptolide, a natural biologically active compound extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii, could protect retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from glaucomatous damage and explore the mechanism under it.

Methods Glaucoma models were established in the right eyes of Wistar rats by combination of aspiration of aqueous and phtocoagulation of anterior chamber angle. Triptolide was administered each day 5µg/kg three days before phtocoagulation until death (total 8 weeks). IOP was measured with a Tonopen XL tonometer at the regular time point at 1day ,3day, 1week and weekly for 8 weeks. RGCs and microglia cell numbers was calculated by nissl staining and immunofluorescence (IF) respectively.

Results The IOP was inhanced from 1 day through 4weeks in postoperation eyes.And no obvious change was found between the triptolide group and the control group(all p>0.05). After 8 weeks, the RGCs number in the triptolide group was improved(72.72±11.14) compared with the control group(45.17±14.62) (p<0.05).And the microglia cells in the inner retinal layer was less in the triptolide group(p<0.05).

Conclusions In this study we find thatTriptolide can't alter the IOP change in the rat glaucoma model. However, it improves the survival of RGCs and reduces the microglia numbers in the inner retina. Taken together, these results suggest that triptolide may protect RGCs via suppressing micrglia activation. Triptolide may be a promising drug for neurodegeneration disease such as glaucoma.


 
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