Korean J Perinatol.  2010 Mar;21(1):26-39.

Retinal Protective Effects of Minocycline via Anti-apoptosis on Oxygen-induced Retinopathy in Neonatal Rats

• Jang YY
• Suh ES
• Kim WT

Abstract

PURPOSE
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of blindness with retinal detachment due to oxygen toxicity in preterm infants. Recently advances in neonatal care had to led improved survival rates in premature infants and ROP re-emerged as a significant clinical problem. In the present study, we aimed to determine the protective abilities of minocycline in a animal model of ROP and a primary retinal cell cultures of neonatal rat via anti-apoptotic actions using Western blotting and real-time PCR with Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 antibodies and mRNAs.
METHODS
In the in vivo oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR), the cyclic hyperoxia was performed that 80% O2 for 1 day and 21% O2 for 1 day from P1-14 of newborn rats. Minocycline was injected intravitreously for 7 days and sacrificed at P21. In the in vitro OIR, primary retinal cell culture was done using P0-P2 SD rats. Hyperoxia injury was done for 100% O2 exposure for 6 hours. Western blotting and real-time PCR using Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 antibody and primer were done in the rat model of ROP and the dispersed retinal cell culture. To identify photoreceptors of retinal cells the immunofluorescence assay photoreceptor marker, IRBP, was used.
RESULTS
In the in vivo OIR, the expression of Bcl-2 antibody and mRNA was increased and those of Bax and caspase-3 were reduced in the minocycline-treated group. In the in vitro OIR, the result was the same as above.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, minocycline was suggested to have retinal protective effects for hyperoxic injury via anti-apoptotic mechanism.

Keyword

Retinopathy of Prematurity; Minocycline; Apoptosis; Bcl-2; Bax; caspase-3

MeSH Terms

Animals
Antibodies
Apoptosis
Blindness
Blotting, Western
Caspase 3
Cell Culture Techniques
Diterpenes
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Humans
Hyperoxia
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Minocycline
Models, Animal
Oxygen
Rats
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Retinal Detachment
Retinaldehyde
Retinopathy of Prematurity
RNA, Messenger
Survival Rate
Antibodies
Caspase 3
Diterpenes
Minocycline
Oxygen
RNA, Messenger
Retinaldehyde