TSPO Ligands Promote Cholesterol Efflux and Suppress Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Choroidal Endothelial Cells.

ABSTRACT: Choroidal endothelial cells supply oxygen and nutrients to retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and photoreceptors, recycle metabolites, and dispose of metabolic waste through the choroidal blood circulation. Death of the endothelial cells of the choroid may cause abnormal deposits including unesterified and esterified cholesterol beneath RPE cells and within Bruch's membrane that contribute to the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most prevalent cause of blindness in older people. Translocator protein (TSPO) is a cholesterol-binding protein that is involved in mitochondrial cholesterol transport and other cellular functions. We have investigated the role of TSPO in choroidal endothelial cells. Immunocytochemistry showed that TSPO was localized to the mitochondri

SUBMITTER: Biswas L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6321017 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature