Effect of autologous growth factors on apoptosis and thickness of the outer nuclear layer in an experimental retinal degeneration model

Abstract

Retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptor cells are a microenvironment where 90 different peptides are synthesized for transduction, visual cycle, intracellular electron transport chain, and removal of metabolic wastes. Depending on the inheritance pattern, either mutant proteins accumulate inside the cells or the energy cycle is disrupted. Disruption of homeostasis causes the cells to switch to the dormant phase; if the improper conditions last longer, then apoptosis eventually develops resulting in a loss of visual function. In neural tissues, growth factors such as neural growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, ciliary neurotrophic factor, and insulin-like growth factor are regulatory peptides for intracellular energy cycle and intracellular digestion. In this study, it has been shown histopathologically that autologous growth factors can prevent apoptosis and prevent loss of outer retinal thickness in the retinal degeneration model created with sodium iodate.

Keywords:

• Retinal degeneration
• apoptosis
• dormant phase
• autophagy
• growth factors
• retinitis pigmentosa

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All animal experiments were conducted with the approval of the Animal Research Committee, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey (21-178-123/26.10.2016).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This study is supported by the International Olympic Committee Medical and Scientific Research Fund. The rabbits required for the experiment and the centrifuge device used to make aPRP were purchased by the grant provided by International Olympic Comittee.