Therapeutic Action of the Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidant SkQ1 on Retinopathy in OXYS Rats Linked with Improvement of VEGF and PEDF Gene Expression

摘要: The incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the main cause blindness in older patients developed countries, is increasing with ageing population. At present there no effective treatment for prevailing geographic atrophy, dry AMD, whereas antiangiogenic therapies successful used managing wet form AMD. Recently we showed that mitochondria-targeted antioxidant plastoquinonyl-decyl-triphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) able to prevent development and moreover caused regression pre-existing signs retinopathy OXYS rats, an animal model Here examine effects SkQ1 on expression key regulators angiogenesis vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF) its antagonist pigment epithelium-derived (PEDF) genes retina rats as evidenced by real-time PCR ELISA test VEGF using Wistar control. Ophthalmoscopic examinations confirmed supplementation (from 1.5 3 months age, 250 nmol/kg) prevented while eye drops (250 nM, from 9 12 months) some reduction did not reveal any negative control rat's retina. Prevention premature was connected increase mRNA protein up levels corresponding involve changes PEDF expression. In contrast a decrease level middle-aged but gene were opposite. Conclusions: beneficial normalization depended age animals stage retinopathy.