Protective effects of glucosamine on oxidative-stress and ischemia/reperfusion-induced retinal injury.

PURPOSE: To investigate the protective effects of glucosamine (GlcN) using oxidative stress and rat models of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and to determine the antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of GlcN treatment.

METHODS: We determined the effects of GlcN and the levels of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) in in vitro retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) treated with or without H₂O₂. The survival and apoptosis rates of RGCs were compared after the addition of GlcN, glucose, or O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-Dglucopyranosylidene) amino-N-phenylcarbamate (PUGNAc). Retinal I/R injury was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by elevating the IOP to 110 mm Hg for 60 minutes. An intraperitoneal injection of GlcN (1000 mg/kg) or normal saline was administered in the different groups, including a control group, a GlcN group, an I/R group, a GlcN+I/R group (1000 mg/kg GlcN 24 hours before I/R injury), and an I/R+GlcN group (7-day period of 1000 mg/kg GlcN 24 hours after I/R injury). The rats were killed 7 days after the I/R injury, and the retinas were collected from each rat for thickness measurements. Quantitative analysis of RGC survival was further determined using labeling with FluoroGold.

RESULTS: The GlcN increased levels of O-GlcNAc in a dose-dependent manner in the RGCs treated with or without H₂O₂. The GlcN resulted in increased cell survival and reduced apoptosis in the RGCs under oxidative stress conditions. In the rat model of I/R injury, GlcN significantly protected against I/R-induced retinal thinning and suppressed the I/R-induced reductions in a- and b-wave amplitudes of the ERG. In terms of RGC survival, significant incremental density of RGCs was found in the I/R+GlcN group compared with the I/R group. Notably, the use of GlcN in the rat retina decreased apoptosis and the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after I/R injury. We also found that mitogen-activated protein kinase signal pathways played a critical role in the GlcN-mediated attenuation of ROS-induced damage in vitro and I/R injury in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS: Glucosamine treatment provides multiple levels of retinal protection, including antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative benefits. More research on the role of GlcN as a potential agent for the prevention and treatment of glaucoma is warranted.