Abstract
Purpose: :
Recent studies have linked the environmental toxin, acrolein, to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell death in age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). Other studies have shown that the toxic affects of acrolein can be prevented by treatment with n-butylhydroxylamine (NBHA). In the present study, experiments were performed to assess the ability of NBHA to protect ARPE-19 cells from acrolein-induced cell death.
Methods: :
Confluent ARPE-19 cells were treated with 12.5, 25, or 50 µM acrolein, and with 50 µM acrolein combined with 50, 100, or 200 µM NBHA, for 48 hours. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay.
Results: :
48-hour treatment of ARPE-19 with 12.5, 25, or 50 µM acrolein reduced viable cell number (from 100% of control) to 78.8%, 70.7%, and 51%, respectively. 48-hour treatment of ARPE-19 with 50 µM acrolein, in combination with combined with 50, 100, or 200 µM NBHA, led to higher percent of viable cells, 66.4%, 76.5%, and 91.5% , respectively (compared to 100% of control). 48-hour treatment of ARPE-19 with 200 µM NBHA had no significant effect on viable cell number.
Conclusions: :
NBHA, by mitigating the toxic effects of acrolein to ARPE-19 cells, is a potential intervention agent in the prevention of RPE damage and death in ARMD.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • cell survival • retinal pigment epithelium