Retinoid X receptor agonist 9CDHRA mitigates retinal ganglion cell apoptosis and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of glaucoma

Title
Retinoid X receptor agonist 9CDHRA mitigates retinal ganglion cell apoptosis and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of glaucoma
Publication Date
2025-03-13
Author(s)
Basavarajappa, Devaraj
Chitranshi, Nitin
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6508-9865
Email: nchitran@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:nchitran
Oddin Mirshahvaladi, Seyed Shahab
Gupta, Veer B
Palanivel, Viswanthram
Parrilla, Gabriella E
Salkar, Akanksha
Mirzaei, Mehdi
Komáromy, András M
Krezel, Wojciech
Graham, Stuart L
Gupta, Vivek
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons, Inc
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1096/fj.202402642r
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/71645
Abstract

Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness, is characterized by the progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and optic nerve damage, often associated with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Retinoid X receptors (RXRs) are ligand-activated transcription factors crucial for neuroprotection, as they regulate gene expression to promote neuronal survival via several biochemical networks and reduce neuroinflammation. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of 9-cis-13,14-dihydroretinoic acid (9CDHRA), an endogenous retinoid RXR agonist, in mitigating RGC degeneration in a high-IOP-induced experimental model of glaucoma. We administered 9CDHRA to glaucomatous mice eyes via intravitreal injections and assessed its effects on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers, glial cell activation, and RGC survival. Our findings demonstrated that 9CDHRA treatment significantly protected inner retinal function and retinal laminar structure in high-IOP glaucoma. The treatment reduced ER stress markers, increased protein lysine acetylation, and diminished glial cell activation, leading to a significant decrease in apoptotic cells under glaucomatous conditions. These results suggest that 9CDHRA exerts neuroprotective effects by modulating key pathogenic pathways in glaucoma, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for preserving vision in glaucoma.

Link
Citation
The FASEB Journal, 39(6), p. 1-18
ISSN
1530-6860
0892-6638
Start page
1
End page
18
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International

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