Oxidative stress induced by high glucose (HG) plays an important role in the mechanism of diabetic cataract. Evidence has shown that effects from oxidative stress induced damage of lens or human lens epithelial (HLE) cells. Antioxidant supplementation is a plausible strategy to avoid oxidative stress and maintain the function of lens. Ghrelin have been used in treatment of many diseases. In this study, we found that ghrelin attenuated HG-induced loss of cell viability, reduced oxidative damage, and cell apoptosis in HLE cells. Ghrelin inhibited apoptosis through the downregulation of Bax and the upregulation of Bcl-2. Our results suggest that ghrelin could be considered as a promising therapeutic intervention for diabetic cataract. We also observed rat lens transparent in cultured media and examined lens histopathological changes. The results showed that ghrelin could inhibit the histopathological injury of lenses and ultrastructural changes induced by HG. In conclusion, ghrelin may play a role in the treatment of ocular diseases involving diabetic cataract.
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