Osmolyte taurine induction in UVA exposed human retinal pigment epithelial cells

Abstract

Aim: To explore the osmolytes expression in ultraviolet (UVA) stressed human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Methods: Osmolyte transporters and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) messenger RNA (mRNA) were determined by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Osmolyte uptake was measured by radioimmunoassay. VEGF concentrations were determined by immunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Osmolyte taurine transporter (TAUT) were silenced by siRNA technology.

Results: Hypertonicity accelerated osmolyte betaine uptake, myoinositol uptake, and taurine uptake, compared to normotonic stress. UVA irradiation also accelerated osmolyte transporters expression and osmolytes uptake. Especially, osmolyte taurine remarkably inhibited VEGF release induced by UVA irradiation. VEGF in the UVA stressed retinal pigment epithelial cell supernatant was accumulated slow after taurine preincubation. VEGF expression increased significantly in UVA-stressed cells after TAUT silencing. Moreover, taurine reduced the VEGF level in human ocular aqueous humor.

Conclusion: The inhibition of VEGF by osmolyte taurine plays the crucial role in retina adaption to UVA irradiation.

Keywords:

• VEGF
• osmolyte
• taurine
• taurine transporter
• ultraviolet
• retina

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was given by the medical ethics committee of Jinzhou medical university.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank American Journal Experts for standard editing (No. 33T5GWWZ).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Foundation of Liaoning Educational Committee [No. JYTQN201730].