Abstract
Oxidative damage to lens epithelial cells plays an important role in the development of age-related cataract, and the health of the lens has important implications for overall ocular health. As a result, there is a need for effective therapeutic agents that prevent oxidative damage to the lens. Thiol antioxidants such as tiopronin or N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)glycine (MPG), N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA), N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and exogenous glutathione (GSH) may be promising candidates for this purpose, but their ability to protect lens epithelial cells is not well understood. The effectiveness of these compounds was compared by exposing human lens epithelial cells (HLE B-3) to the chemical oxidant tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) and treating the cells with each of the antioxidant compounds. MTT cell viability, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and levels of intracellular GSH, the most important antioxidant in the lens, were measured after treatment. All four compounds provided some degree of protection against tBHP-induced oxidative stress and cytotoxicity. Cells treated with NACA exhibited the highest viability after exposure to tBHP, as well as decreased ROS and increased intracellular GSH. Exogenous GSH also preserved viability and increased intracellular GSH levels. MPG scavenged significant amounts of ROS, and NAC increased intracellular GSH levels. Our results suggest that both scavenging ROS and increasing GSH may be necessary for effective protection of lens epithelial cells. Further, the compounds tested may be useful for the development of therapeutic strategies that aim to prevent oxidative damage to the lens.
Recommended Citation
A. Pfaff et al., "Thiol Antioxidants Protect Human Lens Epithelial (HLE B-3) Cells Against Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide-Induced Oxidative Damage and Cytotoxicity," Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports, vol. 29, article no. 101213, Elsevier, Mar 2022.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101213
Department(s)
Chemistry
Keywords and Phrases
Antioxidant; Cataract; Glutathione; Lens; Oxidative stress; Thiol
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2405-5808
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2023 Elsevier, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Mar 2022
Comments
National Institutes of Health, Grant 1R15EY029813-01A1