Abstract
BackgroundAge-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been closely corelated to visual impairment in the elderly, in particular to the oxidative stress (OxS) and apoptosis of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP), has been ascertained to promote people’s immune system, as well as to reduce neuronal damage and blood retinal barrier disruption. Nevertheless, the protective function of LBP on AMD has not been investigated. In current study, H2O2 was utilized to stimulate the occurrence of OxS in RPE cells, aiming to investigate the protective function of LBP pretreatment and the underlying principle.Results: The experimental results indicated that LBP pretreatment had a significant efficacy to reduce oxidative damage, in combination with the increased cell viability and inhibited cell apoptosis. Besides, LBP was ascertained to modulate the expression of apoptotic proteins and to activate the nuclear-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway to protect cells. Conclusion:These results demonstrated that LBP could activate the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, hence protecting ARPE-19 cells from H2O2-induced cell damage.
Lycium barbarum polysaccharide protects ARPE‑19 cells against H2O2‑induced oxidative stress via the Nrf2/HO‑1 pathway
