July 2019
Volume 60, Issue 9
Open Access
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   July 2019
Emblica officinalis as a nutraceutical against AMD mitochondria-induced damage in RPE cells; therapeutic implications for macular degeneration
Sonali R Nashine; Raj Kanodia; Anthony B Nesburn; Girish Soman; Baruch D Kuppermann; Cristina Kenney
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Sonali R Nashine
    Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States
  • Raj Kanodia
    Rhinoplasty Surgeon, Beverly Hills, CA, USA., California, United States
  • Anthony B Nesburn
    Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States
    Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
  • Girish Soman
    Nisarga Biotech Pvt. Ltd., India
  • Baruch D Kuppermann
    Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States
  • Cristina Kenney
    Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States
    Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Sonali Nashine, None; Raj Kanodia, None; Anthony Nesburn, None; Girish Soman, None; Baruch Kuppermann, Alcon, Allergan, Catalyst, Genentech, Novartis, Ophthotech, Regeneron (C), Allergan, Genentech, Novartis, Regeneron; (R); Cristina Kenney, None
  • Footnotes
    Support  SN is a recipient of the 2017 Genentech/ ARVO AMD Translational Research Fellowship, RPB pilot research grant, and the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Postdoctoral fellowship. This research was supported in part by an unrestricted grant from RPB. This research was supported by Discovery Eye Foundation, Polly and Michael Smith, Edith and Roy Carver Foundation, Ken Ruby Foundation, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, Max Factor Family Foundation, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Fellowship in Retinal Degeneration Research.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science July 2019, Vol.60, 1691. doi:
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      Sonali R Nashine, Raj Kanodia, Anthony B Nesburn, Girish Soman, Baruch D Kuppermann, Cristina Kenney; Emblica officinalis as a nutraceutical against AMD mitochondria-induced damage in RPE cells; therapeutic implications for macular degeneration. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2019;60(9):1691.

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Abstract

Purpose : Emblica officinalis, commonly known as Amla or Indian gooseberry, has numerous health benefits including but not limited to antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory effects. Due to its high vitamin C content, Amla is known to improve eyesight and boost immunity. The purpose of the present in vitro study was to test the hypothesis that Amla will rescue RPE cells from AMD mitochondria-induced damage.

Methods : Amla extract was used in capsule powder and purified paste forms. AMD RPE transmitochondrial cells that had identical nuclei but differed in mtDNA content, were created by fusing mitochondria DNA-deficient APRE-19 (Rho0) cells with platelets isolated from AMD patients. QRT-PCR, MTT assay, and JC-1 assay were used to measure gene expression, cell viability, and mitochondrial membrane potential, respectively. H2DCFDA was used as an ROS indicator. IncuCyte Apoptosis assay kits were used. Using Student’s t-test/1-way ANOVA, statistical significance was determined at P<0.05 (n=3-4).

Results : Compared to untreated AMD cells, we observed: 1) improved cell viability after treatment with Amla Capsule (AC) (80% increase, P=0.04) and Amla Purified (AP) (301% increase, P<0.0001) forms; 2) higher mitochondrial membrane potential in AMD cells treated with AC (2457% increase, P= 0.001), and AP (1991% increase, P=0.01); and 3) reduced ROS levels in AMD cells treated with AC (54.12% decrease, P<0.002); and AP (68.4% decrease, P=0.0003). Furthermore, compared to their untreated counterparts, Amla-treated AMD cells showed: a) down-regulation of CASPASE-3 gene (AC: 47% decrease, P= 0.009; AP: 39.6% decrease, P=0.01) and VEGF gene (AC: 74.7% decrease, P<0.0001; AP: 53.08% decrease, P=0.03); and b) up-regulation of PGC-1α gene (AC: 983% increase, P=0.02; AP: 1594% increase, P=0.01) and SOD2 gene (AC:232% increase, P=0.04; AP: 169.6% increase, P=0.02). Apoptosis assays revealed diminished Caspase-3/7 staining intensity in Amla (AC and AP)-treated AMD cells (P<0.05). Finally, both capsule and purified Amla protected against cellular stress induced by exogenously added amyloid-β1-42 peptides in AMD cells (P<0.05).

Conclusions : In conclusion, since Emblica officinalis improves cellular and mitochondrial health in AMD cells, it could be used as a nutraceutical and might serve as an effective, inexpensive, and non-invasive therapeutic option for treatment of AMD.

This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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Copyright © 2025 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
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