Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells (human + retinal_pigment_epithelial_cell)

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Selected Abstracts


Phototoxicity in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Promoted by Hypericin, a Component of St. John's Wort,

PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
Albert R. Wielgus
ABSTRACT St. John's wort (SJW), an over-the-counter antidepressant, contains hypericin, which absorbs light in the UV and visible ranges. In vivo studies have determined that hypericin is phototoxic to skin and our previous in vitro studies with lens tissues have determined that it is potentially phototoxic to the human lens. To determine if hypericin might also be phototoxic to the human retina, we exposed human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells to 10,7 to 10,5 M hypericin. Fluorescence emission detected from the cells (,ex = 488 nm; ,em = 505 nm) confirmed hypericin uptake by human RPE. Neither hypericin exposure alone nor visible light exposure alone reduced cell viability. However when irradiated with 0.7 J cm,2 of visible light (, > 400 nm) there was loss of cell viability as measured by MTS and lactate dehydrogenase assays. The presence of hypericin in irradiated hRPE cells significantly changed the redox equilibrium of glutathione and a decrease in the activity of glutathione reductase. Increased lipid peroxidation as measured by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay correlated to hypericin concentration in hRPE cells and visible light radiation. Thus, ingested SJW is potentially phototoxic to the retina and could contribute to retinal or early macular degeneration. [source]


Time-resolved Microspectrofluorimetry and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Hypericin in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells,

PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2005
Paola Taroni
ABSTRACT Hypericin is the active ingredient of the off-the-shelf antidepressant St. John's Wort. It is an effective phototoxic agent and its systemic administration at therapeutic doses could induce particular damage in the eye due to continuous light exposure. Hypercin is strongly fluorescent and its fluorescence properties can be monitored to investigate noninvasively its localization and interactions. To this aim, time-resolved microspectrofluorimetry and fluorescence life-time imaging were used to assess the spectral and temporal properties as well as the spatial distribution of the fluorescence emitted by retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells treated with Hyp at concentrations in the micromolar range (0.5,10 ,M). In the presence of hypericin, the emission peaks at 600-605 nm and the fluorescence decay is best fitted with three lifetimes (5.5-7 ns, 1.9-2.5 ns and < 0.8 ns). Spectral and temporal differences were observed between high (,5 ,M) and low hypericin concentrations. In particular, upon increasing concentration, the emission spectrum of the slow component broadens and its lifetime shortens. The latter change is observed also when high concentrations are reached locally, due to more efficient localization within the cell. [source]


Crosstalk between Hsp70 molecular chaperone, lysosomes and proteasomes in autophagy-mediated proteolysis in human retinal pigment epithelial cells

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE, Issue 9b 2009
Tuomas Ryh鄚en
Abstract The pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration involves chronic oxidative stress, impaired degradation of membranous discs shed from photoreceptor outer segments and accumulation of lysosomal lipofuscin in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. It has been estimated that a major part of cellular proteolysis occurs in proteasomes, but the importance of proteasomes and the other proteolytic pathways including autophagy in RPE cells is poorly understood. Prior to proteolysis, heat shock proteins (Hsps), agents that function as molecular chaperones, attempt to refold misfolded proteins and thus prevent the accumulation of cytoplasmic protein aggregates. In the present study, the roles of the Hsp70 molecular chaperone and proteasomal and lysosomal proteolytic pathways were evaluated in human RPE cells (ARPE-19). The Hsp70 and ubiquitin protein levels and localization were analysed by Western blotting and immunofluorescense. Confocal and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect cellular organelles and to evaluate the morphological changes. Hsp70 levels were modulated using RNA interference and overexpression techniques. Cell viability was measured by colorimetric assay. The proteasome inhibitor MG-132 evoked the accumulation of perinuclear aggregates positive for Hsp70, ubiquitin-protein conjugates and the lysosomal membrane protein LAMP-2. Interestingly, the hsp70 mRNA depletion significantly increased cell death in conjunction with proteasome inhibition. We found that the accumulation of lysosomes was reversible: a cessation of proteasome inhibition led to clearance of the deposits via a mechanism believed to include autophagy. The molecular chaperone Hsp70, proteasomes and autophagy have an important regulatory role in the protein turnover of human RPE cells and may thus open new avenues for understanding degenerative processes in retinal cells. [source]


Nanoparticle formulation enhances the delivery and activity of a vascular endothelial growth factor antisense oligonucleotide in human retinal pigment epithelial cells

JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 9 2003
Jithan V. Aukunuru
ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to investigate the delivery and activity of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antisense oligonucleotide in a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19) using a biodegradable nanoparticulate delivery system. A 19-mer antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotide (PS-ODN) complementary to bases 6,24 relative to the translational start site of the VEGF mRNA, a sense PS-ODN and a mismatch PS-ODN were examined for the inhibition of secretion and mRNA expression of VEGF using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription,polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Nanoparticles of the antisense oligonucleotides were formulated using a poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (50:50) copolymer using a double emulsion solvent evaporation method. After preparing nanoparticles, drug loading, encapsulation efficiency and particle size were determined. The cells were exposed to either plain solution of oligonucleotide or nanoparticles of oligonucleotide from Day 3 through Day 6. Alternatively, the cells were incubated with PS-ODNs and lipofectin for 4h on Day 4. In all studies, VEGF secretion and mRNA expression were determined on Day 6. The particle size, drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were 252 nm, 5.5% and 16.5%, respectively. The antisense PS-ODN inhibited VEGF mRNA and protein secretion when delivered using nanoparticles or lipofectin but not in its free form. This was consistent with the ability of nanoparticles and lipofectin to elevate the cellular uptake of the oligonucleotide by 4-fold and 13-fold, respectively. Neither mismatch nor sense oligonucleotides inhibited VEGF secretion. In conclusion, biodegradable nanoparticles enhance cellular delivery of a VEGF antisense oligonucleotide and inhibit VEGF secretion and mRNA expression in a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line. [source]


2132: Celastrol regulates innate immunity response via NF-kB and HSP70 in ARPE-19 cells

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010
T PAIMELA
Purpose Chronic inflammation participates in the pathology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Recent studies indicate that celastrol, a novel triterpene compound, modulates inflammatory responses, but its effect on the human retinal pigment epithelial cells is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the potential anti-inflammatory role of celastrol and its effect on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) activity in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19). Methods ARPE-19 cells were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS; TLR 4 agonist) with simultaneous exposure to various concentrations of celastrol and the secretion of IL-6 cytokine was analyzed by ELISA. The effect of celastrol exposure on heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression was analyzed by western blotting. In response to celastrol and modulated HSP70 levels NF-kB activity was examined by ELISA. Results Celastrol suppressed the LPS-induced IL-6 expression levels via NF-kB transcription factor in ARPE-19 cells. Celastrol evoked elevated HSP70 levels without cytotoxicity. Interestingly, celastrols capability to inhibit NF-kB activity was diminished when HSP70 response was suppressed by siRNA. This reveals that celastrol has potent anti-inflammatory capacity in ARPE-19 cells, and its effect is modulated through NF-kB and HSP70. Conclusion Our findings reveal that celastrol is a novel compound to suppress innate immunity response in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. [source]


2133: p62/sequestosome 1 as a regulator of proteasome inhibitor-induced autophagy in human retinal pigment epithelial cells

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010
K KAARNIRANTA
Purpose The pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration involves impaired protein degradation in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and the lysosomal pathway including autophagy are the major proteolytic systems in eukaryotic cells. Prior to proteolysis, heat shock proteins (HSPs) attempt to refold stress ,induced misfolded proteins and thus prevent the accumulation of cytoplasmic protein aggregates. The functional roles of p62 and HSP70 were evaluated in conjunction with protesome inhibitor -induced autophagy in human RPE cells (ARPE-19). Methods The p62, HSP70 and ubiquitin protein levels and localization were analyzed by Western blotting and immunofluorescense. Confocal and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect cellular organelles and to evaluate the morphological changes. The p62 and HSP70 levels were modulated using RNA interference and overexpression techniques. Cell viability was measured by colorimetric assay. Results Proteasome inhibition evoked the accumulation of p62 and HSP70 that strongly co-localized with each other in perinuclear aggregates. The p62 accumulation was time and concentration dependent after MG-132 proteasome inhibitor loading. Interestingly, autophagy induction was p62 and Hsp70 independent. In addition, the p62 silencing decreased the ubiquitination level of the perinuclear aggregates. Recently we showed that hsp70 mRNA depletion increased cell death in ARPE-19 cells. Here we now demonstrate that p62 mRNA silencing has similar effects on cellular viability. Conclusion The p62 and HSP70 are central molecules in the regulation of protein turnover in human retinal pigment epithelial cells in proteasome inhibitor- induced autophagy. [source]


2135: Influence of Hsp90 and HDAC inhibition and tubulin acetylation on perinuclear protein aggregation in human retinal pigment epithelial cells

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010
K KAARNIRANTA
Purpose Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are continually exposed to oxidative stress that contributes to protein misfolding, aggregation and functional abnormalities during aging. The protein aggregates formed at the cell periphery are delivered along the microtubulus network by dynein dependent retrograde trafficking to a juxtanuclear location. Methods Cellular organelles were analysed by transmission electron microscopy of ARPE-19 cells exposed 5 然 MG-132, 0.25 然 geldanamycin (GA), 1 然 trichostatin A (TSA), 1 然 taxol (TAX) or 5 然 nocodazole (NOC) for 24 hours. In addition, the cells were treated simultaneously with GA or TSA or TAX or NOC and MG-132 up to 24 hours. Ubiquitin, Hsp90, Hsp70, acetylated tubulin and Hsc70 protein levels were analyzed by western blotting. Results Hsp90 inhibition by geldanamycin can effectively suppress proteasome inhibitor, MG-132 ,induced protein aggregation in a way that is an independent of HDAC inhibition, or the tubulin acetylation levels in ARPE-19 cells. However, the tubulin acetylation and polymerization state affects the localization of the proteasome-inhibitor ,induced aggregation. Conclusion Hsp90 inhibition is effectively related to regulation of protein aggregation that is independent of HDAC inhibition or tubulin acetylation levels in the RPE cells. Our findings open new perspectives for understanding the pathogenesis of protein aggregation in retinal cells and can be useful for the development of therapeutic treatments to prevent retinal cell deterioration. [source]