Abstract
Purpose: :
the potential neuroprotective effect of VEGF-B.
Methods: :
real-time PCR analysis; the NMDA-induced retina injury model and the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-induced brain ischemia model
Results: :
Indeed, intravitreal (IV) administration of VEGF-B protein rescued the retinal neuronal cells from apoptosis in all the three neuronal layers in the retina. Moreover, VEGF-B protein treatment in the brain decreased stroke volume in the MCAO model, indicating that VEGF-B is a potent neuroprotective factor. Using real-time PCR analysis, we found that VEGF-B inhibits the expression of the BH3-only protein and other apoptotic/cell death-related genes in both the retinae and the brain.
Conclusions: :
Taken together, our data have shown that VEGF-B is a potent neuroprotective factor and may potentially offer a new therapeutic option for the treatment of ocular neurodegenerative diseases.
Keywords: neuroprotection • vascular endothelial growth factor • apoptosis/cell death