Protective effect of thalidomide against N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced retinal neurotoxicity

• Published in: Journal of neuroscience research 2011-10, Vol.89 (10), p.1596-1604
• Main Authors: Takada, Kazuhide, Munemasa, Yasunari, Kuribayashi, Junko, Fujino, Hiromi, Kitaoka, Yasushi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; apoptosis; Cytoplasm; Drug Interactions - immunology; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Immunoreactivity; In Situ Nick-End Labeling - methods; Inflammatory diseases; Male; N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid; N-Methylaspartate - antagonists & inhibitors; N-Methylaspartate - toxicity; Nervous system; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neuroprotective Agents - therapeutic use; Neurotoxicity; Neurotoxins - antagonists & inhibitors; Neurotoxins - toxicity; NMDA; Nuclear transport; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Retina; Retinal Degeneration - drug therapy; Retinal Degeneration - immunology; Retinal Degeneration - pathology; Retinal ganglion cells; Retinal Ganglion Cells - drug effects; Retinal Ganglion Cells - immunology; Retinal Ganglion Cells - metabolism; Thalidomide; Thalidomide - therapeutic use; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - antagonists & inhibitors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; Western blotting
• ISSN: 0360-4012; 1097-4547; 1097-4547
• DOI: 10.1002/jnr.22698

Thalidomide, an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) production, has been indicated to be useful for many inflammatory and oncogenic diseases. In the present study, we examined whether thalidomide (50 mg/kg/day, p.o.) has a protective effect against N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA)‐induced retinal neurotoxicity in rats. A morphometric analysis showed that systemic administration of thalidomide protects neural cells in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) in a dose‐dependent manner and significantly decreases the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick‐end labeling (TUNEL)‐positive cells in GCL and in the inner nuclear layer (INL). ELISA showed that thalidomide significantly suppressed the elevation of TNF‐α 6 and 24 hr after an NMDA injection. Western blot analysis revealed a significant increase in nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) p65 level in the retinas treated with NMDA at 24 hr after the injection, but not at 6 or 72 hr. Furthermore, an increase in p‐JNK and p‐p38 levels was also observed in the retina after NMDA injection. Thalidomide suppressed the increased expressions of NF‐κB p65, p‐JNK, and p‐p38 after NMDA injection. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that thalidomide attenuated NF‐κB p65 immunoreactivity in the GCL induced by NMDA treatment. In the NMDA‐treated group, translocation of NF‐κB p65 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus was detected in TUNEL‐positive cells exposed to NMDA treatment. These results suggest new indications for thalidomide against neurodegenerative diseases. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.