Contribution of Calpain and Caspases to Cell Death in Cultured Monkey RPE Cells.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

AMD is the leading cause of human vision loss after 65 years of age. Several mechanisms have been proposed: (1) age-related failure of the choroidal vasculature leads to loss of RPE; (2) RPE dysfunctions due to accumulation of phagocytized, but unreleased A2E (N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine); (3) zinc deficiency activation of calpain and caspase proteases, leading to cell death. The purpose of the present study is to compare activation of calpain and caspase in monkey RPE cells cultured under hypoxia or with A2E.

Methods

Monkey primary RPE cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions in a Gaspak pouch or cultured with synthetic A2E. Immunoblotting was used to detect activation of calpain and caspase. Calpain inhibitor, SNJ-1945, and pan-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD

SUBMITTER: Nakajima E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6110128 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature