Abstract
Purpose :
Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a leading cause of blindness in developed countries with little in the way of treatment that actually prevents progression to end-stage disease. Kaempferol (3,4’,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is a plant-based dietary flavonoid that has demonstrated antioxidant and neuroprotective properties in stroke models. We hypothesize that kaempferol will have protective effects against retinal degeneration and could one day serve as a therapeutic agent against ARMD.
Methods :
BALB/c albino mice were assigned to one of two groups: vehicle-treated (control) or kaempferol-treated retinal light injury mice. Mice were exposed to 8,000 lux cool white fluorescent light for 2 hours to induce light injury. Vehicle (4% v/v DMSO in normal saline) or kaempferol (20 mg/kg/day freshly prepared in a vehicle solution) was injected intraperitoneally following light injury for 5 days. Scotopic electroretinography (ERG) was recorded before light injury and 7 days following light injury.
Results :
Before treatment, scotopic ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes were an average of 447 ± 22 μV and 916 ± 60 μV, respectively, in the control group and 437 ± 18 μV and 879 ± 46 μV, respectively, in the kaempferol treatment group. Following retinal light injury, ERG a-wave amplitudes were 180 ± 17 μV in the control group and 286 ± 10 μV in the kaempferol treatment group (p < 0.01). Following retinal light injury, ERG b-wave amplitudes were 436 ± 32 μV in the control group and 717 ± 30 μV in the kaempferol treatment group (p < 0.01). There was significantly greater preservation of ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes in the kaempferol treatment group suggesting that kaempferol is able to mitigate loss of retinal function in a retinal light injury model.
Conclusions :
Kaempferol treatment of mice demonstrated a substantial effect on preserving ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes following retinal light injury as compared to a control group. These initial findings suggest that kaempferol may represent a novel therapy for retinal degenerative conditions.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.