Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide Protects Corneal Epithelial Cells against UV-B-Induced Apoptosis via ROS/JNK Pathway Inhibition

• Main Authors: Bucolo, C. (Author), D’agata, V. (Author), D’amico, A.G (Author), Giallongo, C. (Author), Giunta, S. (Author), Magrì, B. (Author), Maugeri, G. (Author), Musumeci, G. (Author), Pricoco, E. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2022
• Subjects: apoptosis; cornea; JNK; PACAP; ROS; UV-B
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 PACAP is widely expressed throughout the body. It exerts a beneficial role in the eye, including the cornea. The corneal epithelium is regularly exposed to diverse types of insults, including ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation. Previously, we showed the protective role played by PACAP in counteracting UV-B ray insults in human corneal endothelial cells; however, its involvement in corneal epithelium protection against ROS induced by UV-B radiation, and the underlying mechanisms, remain to be determined. Here, we demonstrated that the peptide treatment reduced UV-B-induced ROS generation by playing an anti-apoptotic role via JNK-signaling pathway inhibition. Overall, our results can provide guidance in the therapeutic use of PACAP for the treatment of epithelial corneal damage. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.