Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud

The interactions between steroid gonadal hormones and the retina (a part of the visual system and the central nervous system (CNS)) have received limited attention and beneficial effects of these hormones in retinal diseases is controversial. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common cause of retinal hereditary blindness and to date no treatment is available. However, results regarding the effects of progesterone on the progression of RP are promising. With the idea of demonstrating if the progesterone retinal protection in RP is related to its possible anti-inflammatory properties, we have administered orally progesterone to rd10 mice, an animal model of RP. We observed that progesterone decreased photoreceptors cell death, reactive gliosis and the increase in microglial cells caused by RP. We also examined the expression of neuronal and inducible nitric oxide synthase (nNOS and iNOS), the enzyme responsible for NO production. The results demonstrated a decrease in nNOS expression only in control mice treated with progesterone. Inflammation has been related with an increase in lipid peroxidation. Noticeably progesterone administration was able to diminish retinal malondialdehyde (MDA, a lipid peroxidation product) concentrations in rd10 mice. Altogether, we can conclude that progesterone could be a good therapeutic option not only in RP but also for other retinal diseases that have been associated with inflammation and lipid peroxidation.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited retinopathies characterized by photoreceptors death. Our group has shown the positive progesterone (P4) actions on cell death progression in an experimental model of RP. In an effort to enhance the beneficial effects of P4, the aim of this study was to combine P4 treatment with an antioxidant [lipoic acid (LA)] in the rd1 mice. rd1 and control mice were treated with 100 mg/kg body weight of P4, LA, or a combination of both on postnatal day 7 (PN7), 9, and 11, and were sacrificed at PN11. The administration of LA and/or P4 diminishes cell death in rd1 retinas. The effect obtained after the combined administration of LA and P4 is higher than the one obtained with LA or P4 alone. The three treatments decreased GFAP staining, however, in the far peripheral retina, and the two treatments that offered better results were LA and LA plus P4. LA or LA plus P4 increased retinal glutathione (GSH) concentration in the rd1 mice. Although LA and P4 are able to protect photoreceptors from death in rd1 mice retinas, a better effectiveness is achieved when administering LA and P4 at the same time.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited retinopathy that leads to photoreceptor loss. RP has been related to oxidative stress, autophagy, and inflammation. This study aimed to identify changes in the levels of oxidative stress and autophagy markers in the retina of control and rd10 mice during different phases of retinal development. Changes in the retinal oxidation system were investigated by measuring the levels of oxidized and reduced glutathione (GSH/GSSG), retinal avidin-positive cells, and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) staining intensity. Autophagy characterization was explored by measuring the levels of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), beclin, autophagy-related proteins 5 and 7 (Atg5 and Atg7), and lysosomal associated membrane protein-2A (LAMP-2A). At P28 retinal GSH concentrations decreased in rd10 mice compared to the controls. No differences were found in retinal GSSG concentrations between the control and rd10 mice. There was an increase in retinal GSSG concentrations and a decrease in the GSH/GSSG ratio in the control and rd10 mice at P21 and P28 compared to P13. We observed an increase in avidin-positive cells in rd10 retinas. 4-HNE was increased in rd10 retinas at P13, and it also increased in control mice with age. We did not observe any differences in the retinal levels of LC3II/I ratio, Beclin, Atg5, or Atg7 in the rd10 mice compared to the controls. There was an increase in the LAMP-2A concentrations in the control and rd10 mice with development age (P28 concentrations vs. P13). Although only slight differences were found in the oxidative stress and autophagy markers between the control and rd10 mice, there were increases in the GSSG, 4-HNE, and LAMP-2A with age. This increase in the oxidative stress and chaperone-mediated autophagy has not been described before and occurred just after the mice opened their eyes, potentially indicating a retinal response to light exposure.