{"database":"biostudies-literature","file_versions":[],"scores":null,"additional":{"submitter":["Lee TT"],"funding":["NEI NIH HHS","NIH HHS"],"pagination":["110221"],"full_dataset_link":["https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11798707"],"repository":["biostudies-literature"],"omics_type":["Unknown"],"volume":["251"],"pubmed_abstract":["Previously, we found that retinas of young male mice were more damaged than those of young female mice in the sodium iodate (NaIO<sub>3</sub>) model. The purpose of this study was to test whether reducing testosterone levels would be retina-protective. Male C57Bl/6J mice underwent surgical castration or sham surgery, then were given an intraperitoneal injection of NaIO<sub>3</sub> at 25 mg/kg. The mice were imaged a week later using optical coherence tomography (OCT). ImageJ with a custom macro was utilized to measure retinal thicknesses in OCT images. Electroretinography (ERG) was used to measure retinal function one week post-injection. After euthanasia, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed. Surgical castration partially protected photoreceptors, which was indicated by less photoreceptor layer thinning exhibited in OCT images compared to the sham surgery group. Consistent with this, qRT-PCR of castration group neural retinas revealed less reduction of rhodopsin mRNAs, and less upregulation of antioxidant as well as glucose transporter 1 mRNAs. ERG results also demonstrated partial preservation of both cone and rod function. These results indicate that surgical castration provided structural and functional protection to photoreceptors against NaIO<sub>3</sub>. These neuroprotective effects suggest that testosterone may be harmful to the stressed retina. Further investigation of this pathway could lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in retinal degeneration."],"journal":["Experimental eye research"],"pubmed_title":["Testosterone promotes photoreceptor degeneration in the sodium iodate model."],"pmcid":["PMC11798707"],"funding_grant_id":["P30 EY001583","R01 EY036292","S10 OD026860","R01 EY028916","R01 EY015240"],"pubmed_authors":["Bell BA","Lee TT","Dunaief JL","Song Y"],"additional_accession":[]},"is_claimable":false,"name":"Testosterone promotes photoreceptor degeneration in the sodium iodate model.","description":"Previously, we found that retinas of young male mice were more damaged than those of young female mice in the sodium iodate (NaIO<sub>3</sub>) model. The purpose of this study was to test whether reducing testosterone levels would be retina-protective. Male C57Bl/6J mice underwent surgical castration or sham surgery, then were given an intraperitoneal injection of NaIO<sub>3</sub> at 25 mg/kg. The mice were imaged a week later using optical coherence tomography (OCT). ImageJ with a custom macro was utilized to measure retinal thicknesses in OCT images. Electroretinography (ERG) was used to measure retinal function one week post-injection. After euthanasia, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed. Surgical castration partially protected photoreceptors, which was indicated by less photoreceptor layer thinning exhibited in OCT images compared to the sham surgery group. Consistent with this, qRT-PCR of castration group neural retinas revealed less reduction of rhodopsin mRNAs, and less upregulation of antioxidant as well as glucose transporter 1 mRNAs. ERG results also demonstrated partial preservation of both cone and rod function. These results indicate that surgical castration provided structural and functional protection to photoreceptors against NaIO<sub>3</sub>. These neuroprotective effects suggest that testosterone may be harmful to the stressed retina. Further investigation of this pathway could lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in retinal degeneration.","dates":{"release":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","publication":"2025 Feb","modification":"2026-06-13T05:28:24.693Z","creation":"2026-06-13T03:09:21.263Z"},"accession":"S-EPMC11798707","cross_references":{"pubmed":["39710099"],"doi":["10.1016/j.exer.2024.110221"]}}