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Substance P Alleviates Retinal Pigment Epithelium Dysfunction Caused by High Glucose-Induced Stress
Dahyeon Lee1, Hyun Sook Hong1,2,3
1Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
Life (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2023
Summary
Substance P (SP) may treat diabetic retinopathy by improving retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) function. SP protects RPE cells from high glucose damage, reducing inflammation and improving the retinal barrier.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Cell Biology
- Diabetology
Background:
- Diabetes-induced high glucose (HG) impairs retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) barrier function, leading to diabetic retinopathy (DR).
- HG causes RPE cell damage, reduced viability, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
- Key factors like intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are upregulated in HG-damaged RPE.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential recovery effects of substance P (SP) on high glucose (HG)-induced retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) injury.
- To explore the mechanisms by which SP may counteract HG-induced damage in RPE cells.
- To assess SP's impact on RPE viability, barrier function, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers.
Main Methods:
- Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells were exposed to high glucose (HG) for 24 hours to induce injury.
- Substance P (SP) was administered to HG-treated RPE cells.
- Cellular viability, tight junction protein expression, oxidative stress markers, inflammatory factors (ICAM-1, MCP-1), and angiogenesis factor (VEGF) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- HG treatment led to RPE cell damage, characterized by fibrotic shapes and decreased viability.
- HG disrupted tight junction proteins and the antioxidant system, increasing oxidative stress.
- SP treatment enhanced RPE cell viability, restored tight junction protein expression, and improved RPE function under HG conditions.
- SP significantly reduced the expression of ICAM-1, MCP-1, and VEGF.
- SP's effects may involve the activation of the Akt signaling pathway.
Conclusions:
- Substance P (SP) demonstrates a protective and recovery effect on high glucose (HG)-induced retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) injury.
- SP improves RPE barrier function and suppresses oxidative stress and inflammation, potentially via the Akt pathway.
- SP treatment reduces key markers of inflammation and angiogenesis, suggesting its therapeutic potential for diabetic retinopathy (DR).
