Effect of Nitro-Oleic Acids in neovascularization and neurodegeneration in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy model

VAGLIENTI, MARIA V.; SUBIRADA, PAULA V.; JORAY, B.; PAZ, MARÍA C.; BARCELONA, PABLO F.; BONACCI, GUSTAVO; SÁNCHEZ, MARÍA C.

Virtual

Congreso; XIII CONGRESO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN EN VISIÓN Y OFTALMOLOGÍA; 2021

AIVO

Purpose: Inflammation and oxidative stress are involved in neovascular retinopathies (NR). Nitro-fatty acids are important electrophilic signaling mediators with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (Keap1/Nrf2 pathway). Here, our aim is to evaluate the effect of Nitro-oleic acid (NO2-OA) in oxygen-induced retinopathy mouse model (OIR).Materials and Methods: OIR mice were intraocular (i.o.) injected at P12 with 5 μM of NO2-OA or vehicle and intraperitoneal (i.p). at P14, P17, P20, P23 with 15 mg/Kg of NO2-OA or vehicle. At P17 or P26 mice were sacrificed. Age-match mice in RA were used as controls. Some eyes were fixed to obtain whole mount for microscopy and other retinas were used for Western blot or RT-PCR assays. The electrical activity of the retina in response to a light stimulus was measured by scotopic electroretinography (ERG). Amplitudes and latencies of a- and b-waves from scotopic ERG were recorded at P17 y P26. Finally, the NO2-OA effect on neovascularization was evaluated by tube formation assay. GraphPad Prism was used for statistical analysis.Results: NO2-OA induced vascular regrowth, reduced neovascularization and produced significant changes in GS and GFAP at P17 OIR. At P26 NO2-OA prevented the decrease in b-wave amplitude as well as the diminished expression of total Caspase-3 protein. Finally, a significant decrease in the total segment length and number of tubular structures was observed after NO2-OA treatment.Conclusions: These findings suggest that NO2-OA could be beneficial or cytoprotective for retinal cells in OIR model.