Abstract
Purpose :
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of diabetes and has a high prevalence. Lycium barbarum Glycopeptide (LBGP), the most potent compound purified from Lycium barbarum, has been shown to have many health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. This study aims to investigate the protective effects of LBGP in DR.
Methods :
C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups: The control group, the diabetic group, and diabetic the LBGP supplementation group. C57 mice were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes. LBGP was administered by gavage to the experimental group daily for 12 weeks. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining were used to demonstrate the histopathological changes. The expression of cytokines and inflammatory mediators was measured by qRT-PCR and western blot.
Results :
OCT imaging and HE staining demonstrated that LBGP administration significantly increased retinal thickness in diabetic mice, alleviating DR-induced histopathological changes. LBGP significantly reduced DR-induced increases in proinflammatory cytokine levels (TNF-α, iNOS, IL-6, IL-1β, and Nrf2) in the retina by qPCR. Immunostaining for GFAP showed an increased intensity in the diabetic mouse retina, while this effect was inhibited by LBGP treatment. Western blotting assays revealed that LBGP treatment alleviated Caspase-3 and increased Bcl2 expression. Furthermore, the expressions of phosphor-Akt (p-Akt) and phosphor-PI3K (p- PI3K) in diabetic mouse retinas were all upregulated significantly, which was decreased by LBGP.
Conclusions :
LBGP could significantly ameliorate anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative stress, and anti-apoptosis in DR mice via p-Akt and p-PI3K signaling pathways, which can be used as a potential food supplement alternative to DR medicine.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.