Background: The role of epigenetic alterations in the pathogenesis of retinal degenerative diseases, such as macular degeneration is not well established. This study aimed to evaluate whether treatments with gamma-mangostin can rescue the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cytotoxicity in human retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells.
Materials and methods: ARPE-19 cells were treated with H2O2 alone or with gamma-mangostin plus H2O2 to investigate changes relating to cell viability, appearance of sub-G1 cells, antioxidant enzymes, and apoptotic-related proteins.
Results: The data showed that under H2O2 treatment of 400 μM, there was a significant decrease in cell viability and enhanced apoptosis, together with an increased expression of Bax, Bad, cleaved-caspase-3, -8, and -9 at the protein level. On the contrary, the protein expression levels of Bcl2 and Bcl-xl were decreased. Gamma-mangostin pre-treatments (2-16 μM) could effectively prevent all alterations.
Conclusion: Gamma-mangostin may conduct its eye-protective effects against H2O2-induced oxidative damage via anti- apoptotic and antioxidant mechanisms in ARPE-19 cells.
Keywords: ARPE-19 cells; Apoptosis; cell viability; gamma-mangostin; oxidative damage.
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