Superior Properties of N-Acetylcysteine Ethyl Ester over N-Acetyl Cysteine to Prevent Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Oxidative Damage
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2021
Citazione:
Superior Properties of N-Acetylcysteine Ethyl Ester over N-Acetyl Cysteine to Prevent Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Oxidative Damage / G.M. Tosi, D. Giustarini, L. Franci, A. Minetti, F. Imperatore, E. Caldi, P. Fiorenzani, A. Maria Aloisi, A.C. Sparatore, R. Rossi, M. Chiariello, M. Orlandini, F. Galvagni. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES. - ISSN 1422-0067. - 22:2(2021 Jan 09), pp. 600.1-600.12. [10.3390/ijms22020600]
Abstract:
: Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathophysiology of retinal diseases, including
age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy, which are the major causes of
irreversible blindness in developed countries. An excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can directly
cause functional and morphological impairments in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), endothelial
cells, and retinal ganglion cells. Antioxidants may represent a preventive/therapeutic strategy
and reduce the risk of progression of AMD. Among antioxidants, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) is
widely studied and has been proposed to have therapeutic benefit in treating AMD by mitigating
oxidative damage in RPE. Here, we demonstrate that N-acetyl-L-cysteine ethyl ester (NACET), a
lipophilic cell-permeable cysteine derivative, increases the viability in oxidative stressed RPE cells
more efficiently than NAC by reacting directly and more rapidly with oxidizing agents, and that
NACET, but not NAC, pretreatment predisposes RPE cells to oxidative stress resistance and increases
the intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH) pool available to act as natural antioxidant defense.
Moreover, we demonstrate the ability of NACET to increase GSH levels in rats’ eyes after oral
administration. In conclusion, even if experiments in AMD animal models are still needed, our
data suggest that NACET may play an important role in preventing and treating retinal diseases
associated with oxidative stress, and may represent a valid and more efficient alternative to NAC in
therapeutic protocols in which NAC has already shown promising results.
Tipologia IRIS:
01 - Articolo su periodico
Keywords:
: oxidative stress; retinopathy; retinal pigment epithelium; age-related macular degeneration; N-acetyl-L-cysteine; N-acetyl-L-cysteine ethyl ester
Elenco autori:
G.M. Tosi, D. Giustarini, L. Franci, A. Minetti, F. Imperatore, E. Caldi, P. Fiorenzani, A. Maria Aloisi, A.C. Sparatore, R. Rossi, M. Chiariello, M. Orlandini, F. Galvagni
Link alla scheda completa: