Objective: To evaluate whether the effects of oxidative stress could be attenuated in cultures of canine lens epithelial cells (LECs) by incubation with grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSE), resveratrol (RES), or a combination of both (GSE+RES).
Sample population: Primary cultures of canine LECs.
Procedures: LECs were exposed to 100MM tertiary butyl-hydroperoxide (TBHP) with or without GSE, RES, or GSE+RES. The dichlorofluorescein assay was used to detect production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and immunoblot analysis was used to evaluate the expression of stress-induced cell-signaling markers (ie, the mitogen-activated protein kinase [MAPK] and phosphoinositide-3 kinase [PI3K] pathways).
Results: GSE and GSE+RES significantly reduced ROS production after a 30-minute exposure to TBHP. Only GSE significantly reduced ROS production after a 120-minute exposure to TBHP. Incubation with GSE reduced TBHP-induced activity of the MAPK and PI3K pathways.
Conclusions and clinical relevance: GSE inhibited key components associated with cataractogenesis, ROS production, and stress-induced cell signaling. On the basis of the data reported here, there is strong evidence that GSE could potentially protect LECs from the damaging effects of oxidative stress.