Lipofuscin causes atypical necroptosis through lysosomal membrane permeabilization

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (47) ◽  
pp. e2100122118
Author(s):  
Chendong Pan ◽  
Kalpita Banerjee ◽  
Guillermo L. Lehmann ◽  
Dena Almeida ◽  
Katherine A. Hajjar ◽  
...  

Lipofuscin granules enclose mixtures of cross-linked proteins and lipids in proportions that depend on the tissue analyzed. Retinal lipofuscin is unique in that it contains mostly lipids with very little proteins. However, retinal lipofuscin also presents biological and physicochemical characteristics indistinguishable from conventional granules, including indigestibility, tendency to cause lysosome swelling that results in rupture or defective functions, and ability to trigger NLRP3 inflammation, a symptom of low-level disruption of lysosomes. In addition, like conventional lipofuscins, it appears as an autofluorescent pigment, considered toxic waste, and a biomarker of aging. Ocular lipofuscin accumulates in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), whereby it interferes with the support of the neuroretina. RPE cell death is the primary cause of blindness in the most prevalent incurable genetic and age-related human disorders, Stargardt disease and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), respectively. Although retinal lipofuscin is directly linked to the cell death of the RPE in Stargardt, the extent to which it contributes to AMD is a matter of debate. Nonetheless, the number of AMD clinical trials that target lipofuscin formation speaks for the potential relevance for AMD as well. Here, we show that retinal lipofuscin triggers an atypical necroptotic cascade, amenable to pharmacological intervention. This pathway is distinct from canonic necroptosis and is instead dependent on the destabilization of lysosomes. We also provide evidence that necroptosis is activated in aged human retinas with AMD. Overall, this cytotoxicity mechanism may offer therapeutic targets and markers for genetic and age-related diseases associated with lipofuscin buildups.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangeeta Satish ◽  
Hannah Philipose ◽  
Mariana Aparecida Brunini Rosales ◽  
Magali Saint-Geniez

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) dysfunction due to accumulation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage is a key event in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Here, we examine the therapeutic potential of ZLN005, a selective PGC-1α transcriptional regulator, in protecting RPE from cytotoxic oxidative damage. Gene expression analysis on ARPE-19 cells treated with ZLN005 shows robust upregulation of PGC-1α and its associated transcription factors, antioxidant enzymes, and mitochondrial genes. Energetic profiling shows that ZLN005 treatment enhances RPE mitochondrial function by increasing basal and maximal respiration rates, and spare respiratory capacity. In addition, ZLN005 robustly protects ARPE-19 cells from cell death caused by H2O2, ox-LDL, and NaIO3 without exhibiting any cytotoxicity under basal conditions. ZLN005 protection against H2O2-mediated cell death was lost in PGC-1α-silenced cells. Our data indicates that ZLN005 efficiently protects RPE cells from oxidative damage through selective induction of PGC-1α and its target antioxidant enzymes. ZLN005 may serve as a novel therapeutic agent for retinal diseases associated with RPE dystrophies.


Author(s):  
Małgorzata B. Różanowska ◽  
Bartosz Różanowski

Retinal lipofuscin accumulates with age in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) where its fluorescence properties are used to assess the retinal health. It was observed that there is a decrease in lipofuscin fluorescence above the age of 75 years and in early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the response of lipofuscin isolated from human RPE, and lipofuscin-laden-cells to visible light, and determine whether an abundant component of lipofuscin, docosahexaenoate (DHA) can contribute to lipofuscin fluorescence upon oxidation. Exposure of lipofuscin to visible leads to a decrease of its long-wavelength fluorescence at about 610 nm with concomitant growth of the short-wavelength fluorescence. The emission spectrum of photodegraded lipofuscin exhibits similarity with that of oxidized DHA. Exposure to light of lipofuscin-laden cells leads to loss of lipofuscin granules from cells, while retaining cell viability. The spectral changes of fluorescence in lipofuscin-laden cells resemble those seen during photodegradation of isolated lipofuscin. Our results demonstrate that fluorescence emission spectra together with quantitation of intensity of long-wavelength fluorescence can serve as a marker useful for lipofuscin quantification and for monitoring its oxidation, thereby useful for screening the retina for increased oxidative damage and early AMD-related changes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Efstathios Vounotrypidis ◽  
Anna Hillenmayer ◽  
Christian M. Wertheimer ◽  
Alexis Athanasiou ◽  
Jakob Siedlecki ◽  
...  

AbstractLow energy stereotactic radiotherapy has been proposed for the treatment of neovascular age related macular degeneration. We investigated the in vitro effect of the radiotherapy on pericytes, retinal pigment epithelium and endothelial cells. Primary human retinal pigment epithelium cells, human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human pericytes from Placenta were cultivated. In a pairwise protocol, one plate was irradiated at a dose of 16 Gy, while the second plate served as a non-irradiated control. Thereafter, cells were cultivated either in serum-free (non-permissive) or serum-stimulated (permissive) conditions. A life/dead assay, an XTT and a BrdU assay were performed up to 7 days after irradiation. No cell death occurred at any timepoint in any cell line after treatment nor in the control. Compared to the unirradiated controls, cell viability and metabolic activity were significantly reduced in irradiated cells in the XTT assay, except for non-permissive RPE cells. In the BrdU assay, proliferation was inhibited. While no cell death was detected in vitro, viability and proliferative capacity of all cell lines were significantly reduced. Therefore, it seems that low energy stereotactic radiotherapy inhibits angiogenesis without a direct induction of apoptosis but influencing microvascular function and stability.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (19) ◽  
pp. 4807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Su ◽  
Christine Spee ◽  
Eduardo Araujo ◽  
Eric Barron ◽  
Mo Wang ◽  
...  

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in the developed world. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a critical site of pathology in AMD. Oxidative stress plays a key role in the development of AMD. We generated a chimeric high-density lipoprotein (HDL), mimetic peptide named HM-10/10, with anti-oxidant properties and investigated its potential for the treatment of retinal disease using cell culture and animal models of RPE and photoreceptor (PR) degeneration. Treatment with HM-10/10 peptide prevented human fetal RPE cell death caused by tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (tBH)-induced oxidative stress and sodium iodate (NaIO3), which causes RPE atrophy and is a model of geographic atrophy in mice. We also show that HM-10/10 peptide ameliorated photoreceptor cell death and significantly improved retinal function in a mouse model of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced PR degeneration. Our results demonstrate that HM-10/10 protects RPE and retina from oxidant injury and can serve as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of retinal degeneration.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Hytti ◽  
Eveliina Korhonen ◽  
Juha M. T. Hyttinen ◽  
Heidi Roehrich ◽  
Kai Kaarniranta ◽  
...  

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in a wide variety of degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration. Damage to mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA accumulates with age in the postmitotic retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which could lead to RPE cell death and trigger disease. One possible mechanism for cells to avoid cell death is mitophagy, the targeted clearance of damaged mitochondria by autophagy. Here, we induced mitochondrial damage in human RPE cells (ARPE-19 and hRPE), using antimycin A, an inhibitor of complex III of the electron transport chain, and investigated cellular viability, mitochondrial structure and function, and autophagy activity. We observed that antimycin A evoked dose-dependent cell death, a rapid loss in mitochondrial membrane potential, and a collapse of oxidative phosphorylation. Mitochondria appeared swollen and there was clear damage to their cristae structure. At the same time, cells were undergoing active autophagy and were sensitive to autophagy inhibition by bafilomycin A1 or chloroquine. These results indicate that mitochondrial dysfunction can cause significant RPE damage and that autophagy is an important survival mechanism for cells suffering from mitochondrial damage.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Ohashi ◽  
Masaaki Kageyama ◽  
Katsuhiko Shinomiya ◽  
Yukie Fujita-Koyama ◽  
Shin-ichiro Hirai ◽  
...  

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration is a crucial event in dry age-related macular degeneration and gyrate atrophy. The polyamine spermidine has been shown to induce RPE cell death in vitro. The present study aimed to establish a novel in vivo model of spermidine-induced RPE degeneration and to determine whether spermidine-induced RPE cell death involves oxidative mechanisms. In this study, spermidine caused ARPE-19 cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. This effect was prevented by removal of serum from the culture medium or treatment with amine oxidase inhibitors, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), or aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Intravitreal injection of spermidine into rats significantly increased the permeability of the blood-retinal barrier and decreased the amplitudes of scotopic electroretinogram a- and b-waves. Histological analysis revealed that spermidine induced vacuolation, atrophy, and dropout of RPE cells, leading to the disruption of photoreceptor outer segments. Simultaneous intravitreal administration of NAC and ALDH with spermidine prominently inhibited the functional and morphological changes induced by spermidine. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the intravitreal administration of spermidine induced RPE cell dysfunction and death followed by photoreceptor degeneration in rats. These effects of spermidine are thought to be mediated by oxidative stress and a toxic aldehyde generated during spermidine oxidation.


Author(s):  
М.А. Яковлева ◽  
Н.Л. Сакина ◽  
И.Б. Кольчугина ◽  
П.М. Арбуханова ◽  
С.А. Борзенок ◽  
...  

Актуальность. Недавно нами было показано, что при возрастной макулярной дегенерации сетчатки наблюдается повышенное содержание продуктов фотоокисления и фотодеградации бисретиноидов по сравнению с нормой. Поэтому на сегодняшний день вопрос о фототоксичности этих продуктов становится актуальным для решения проблемы поиска путей лечения и профилактики патологии. Цель. Провести сравнительное исследование фотосенсибилизирующего действия N-ретинилиден-N-ретинилэтаноламина (А2Е) и продуктов его фотоокисления и фотодеградации на индуцированную видимым светом пероксидацию липидов фоторецепторных мембран. Материалы и методы. При помощи метода высокоэффективной жидкостной хроматографии были получены отдельные фракции неокисленных и окисленных бисретиноидов в хлороформном экстракте липофусциновых гранул из ретинального пигментного эпителия кадаверных глаз. Результаты. Проведено сравнительное исследование фототоксических свойств неокисленных и окисленных бисретиноидов липофусциновых гранул из клеток ретинального пигментного эпителия глаза человека на пероксидацию липидов наружных сегментов фоторецепторных клеток. Выводы. Окисленные бисретиноиды липофусциновых гранул менее фототоксичны по сравнению с их неокисленными формами. Background. Recently we have shown that age-related macular degeneration is associated with higher than normal levels of bisretinoid photo-oxidation and photo-degradation products. Therefore, the issue of their phototoxicity currently becomes relevant for finding ways to treat and prevent this pathology. Aim. To conduct a comparative study of the photosensitizing effect of N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E) and its photooxidation and photodegradation products on light-induced lipid peroxidation in photoreceptor membranes. Materials and methods. Using high-performance liquid chromatography fractions of unoxidized and oxidized bisretinoids were isolated in the chloroform extract of lipofuscin granules from the retinal pigment epithelium of cadaver eyes. Results. The study compared phototoxic effects of unoxidized and oxidized bisretinoids of lipofuscin granules from human retinal pigment epithelial cells on lipid peroxidation in rod outer segments. Conclusions. Oxidized bisretinoids of lipofuscin granules are less phototoxic compared to their unoxidized forms.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 920-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina A. Yakovleva ◽  
Alexandra Sh. Radchenko ◽  
Tatiana B. Feldman ◽  
Alexey A. Kostyukov ◽  
Patimat M. Arbukhanova ◽  
...  

Lipofuscin granules accumulate in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) with age, especially in patients with visual diseases, including progressive age-related macular degeneration (AMD).


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annamaria Tisi ◽  
Vincenzo Flati ◽  
Simona Delle Monache ◽  
Luca Lozzi ◽  
Maurizio Passacantando ◽  
...  

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) dysfunction and degeneration underlie the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. In this study, we investigated whether cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs or nanoceria), which are anti-oxidant agents with auto-regenerative properties, are able to preserve the RPE. On ARPE-19 cells, we found that CeO2-NPs promoted cell viability against H2O2–induced cellular damage. For the in vivo studies, we used a rat model of acute light damage (LD), which mimics many features of AMD. CeO2-NPs intravitreally injected three days before LD prevented RPE cell death and degeneration and nanoceria labelled with fluorescein were found localized in the cytoplasm of RPE cells. CeO2-NPs inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition of RPE cells and modulated autophagy by the down-regulation of LC3B-II and p62. Moreover, the treatment inhibited nuclear localization of LC3B. Taken together, our study demonstrates that CeO2-NPs represent an eligible candidate to counteract RPE degeneration and, therefore, a powerful therapy for AMD.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document