Antioxidant Role of PRGF on RPE Cells after Blue Light Insult as a Therapy for Neurodegenerative Diseases

• Main Authors: Carlota Suárez-Barrio, Susana del Olmo-Aguado, Eva García-Pérez, María de la Fuente, Francisco Muruzabal, Eduardo Anitua, Begoña Baamonde-Arbaiza, Luis Fernández-Vega-Cueto, Luis Fernández-Vega, Jesús Merayo-Lloves
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-02-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: age-related macular degeneration (amd); neurodegenerative disease; retinal pigment epithelium (rpe); arpe19; plasma rich in growth factors (prgf); blue light; reactive oxygen species (ros); antioxidant
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/3/1021

Oxidative stress has a strong impact on the development of retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) is a novel therapeutic approach in ophthalmological pathologies. The aim of this study was to analyze the antioxidant effect of PRGF in retinal epithelial cells (EPR) in in vitro and ex vivo retinal phototoxicity models. In vitro analyses were performed on ARPE19 human cell line. Viability and mitochondrial status were assessed in order to test the primary effects of PRGF. GSH level, and protein and gene expression of the main antioxidant pathway (Keap1, Nrf2, GCL, HO-1, and NQO1) were also studied. Ex vivo analyses were performed on rat RPE, and HO-1 and Nrf2 gene and protein expression were evaluated. The results show that PRGF reduces light insult by stimulating the cell response against oxidative damage and modulates the antioxidant pathway. We conclude that PRGF’s protective effect could prove useful as a new therapy for treating neurodegenerative disorders such as AMD.