Qihuang Granule protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress via regulation of the alternative complement pathway
Abstract Background Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in elderly people, and dry AMD is the most common type of AMD. Oxidative stress and alternative complement pathway activation may play essential roles in the pathogenesis of dry AMD. There are no available d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-023-03884-2 |
| _version_ | 1797865608508866560 |
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| author | Yan Wang Huangxuan Shen Long Pang Bo Qiu Yuan Yuan Xiaoying Guan Xiaolan Xiang |
| author_facet | Yan Wang Huangxuan Shen Long Pang Bo Qiu Yuan Yuan Xiaoying Guan Xiaolan Xiang |
| author_sort | Yan Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in elderly people, and dry AMD is the most common type of AMD. Oxidative stress and alternative complement pathway activation may play essential roles in the pathogenesis of dry AMD. There are no available drugs for dry AMD. Qihuang Granule (QHG) is an herbal formula for the treatment of dry AMD, and it achieves a good clinical effect in our hospital. However, its potential mechanism is unclear. Our study investigated the effects of QHG on oxidative stress-associated retinal damage to reveal its underlying mechanism. Methods Oxidative stress models were established using H2O2 and NaIO3 in ARPE-19 cells and C57BL/6 mice. Cell apoptosis and viability were assessed using phase contrast microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively. Alterations in the mouse retinal structure were evaluated using Masson staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The expression of complement factor H (CFH), complement component 3a (C3a) and complement component 5a (C5a) in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and mice was measured using RT‒PCR, Western blot analysis and ELISA. Results Pretreatment with QHG significantly prevented cell apoptosis and disorder of the RPE and inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) in H2O2-treated RPE cells and NaIO3-injected mice. QHG alleviated mitochondrial damage in mouse RPE cells, as shown by TEM. QHG also promoted CFH expression and inhibited the expression of C3a and C5a. Conclusions The results suggest that QHG protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress, likely by regulating the alternative complement pathway. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:10:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-73fc7ab7b396493fa98fa3bc416127a0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-7671 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:10:50Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies |
| spelling | doaj.art-73fc7ab7b396493fa98fa3bc416127a02023-03-22T10:24:24ZengBMCBMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies2662-76712023-02-0123111210.1186/s12906-023-03884-2Qihuang Granule protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress via regulation of the alternative complement pathwayYan Wang0Huangxuan Shen1Long Pang2Bo Qiu3Yuan Yuan4Xiaoying Guan5Xiaolan Xiang6Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineState Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineThe Second Clinical college of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineThe Second Clinical college of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineAbstract Background Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in elderly people, and dry AMD is the most common type of AMD. Oxidative stress and alternative complement pathway activation may play essential roles in the pathogenesis of dry AMD. There are no available drugs for dry AMD. Qihuang Granule (QHG) is an herbal formula for the treatment of dry AMD, and it achieves a good clinical effect in our hospital. However, its potential mechanism is unclear. Our study investigated the effects of QHG on oxidative stress-associated retinal damage to reveal its underlying mechanism. Methods Oxidative stress models were established using H2O2 and NaIO3 in ARPE-19 cells and C57BL/6 mice. Cell apoptosis and viability were assessed using phase contrast microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively. Alterations in the mouse retinal structure were evaluated using Masson staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The expression of complement factor H (CFH), complement component 3a (C3a) and complement component 5a (C5a) in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and mice was measured using RT‒PCR, Western blot analysis and ELISA. Results Pretreatment with QHG significantly prevented cell apoptosis and disorder of the RPE and inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) in H2O2-treated RPE cells and NaIO3-injected mice. QHG alleviated mitochondrial damage in mouse RPE cells, as shown by TEM. QHG also promoted CFH expression and inhibited the expression of C3a and C5a. Conclusions The results suggest that QHG protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress, likely by regulating the alternative complement pathway.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-023-03884-2Age-related macular degenerationAlternative complement pathwayOxidative stressTraditional Chinese medicineQihuang Granule |
| spellingShingle | Yan Wang Huangxuan Shen Long Pang Bo Qiu Yuan Yuan Xiaoying Guan Xiaolan Xiang Qihuang Granule protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress via regulation of the alternative complement pathway BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies Age-related macular degeneration Alternative complement pathway Oxidative stress Traditional Chinese medicine Qihuang Granule |
| title | Qihuang Granule protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress via regulation of the alternative complement pathway |
| title_full | Qihuang Granule protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress via regulation of the alternative complement pathway |
| title_fullStr | Qihuang Granule protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress via regulation of the alternative complement pathway |
| title_full_unstemmed | Qihuang Granule protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress via regulation of the alternative complement pathway |
| title_short | Qihuang Granule protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress via regulation of the alternative complement pathway |
| title_sort | qihuang granule protects the retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stress via regulation of the alternative complement pathway |
| topic | Age-related macular degeneration Alternative complement pathway Oxidative stress Traditional Chinese medicine Qihuang Granule |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-023-03884-2 |
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