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  3. Reduced Zn2+ promotes retinal ganglion cells survival and optic nerve regeneration after injury through inhibiting autophagy mediated by ROS/Nrf2

Reduced Zn2+ promotes retinal ganglion cells survival and optic nerve regeneration after injury through inhibiting autophagy mediated by ROS/Nrf2

  • Free Radic Biol Med. 2023 Dec 20:S0891-5849(23)01153-X. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.12.008.
Caiqing Wu 1,  Jiaxu Han 1,  Siting Wu 1,  Canying Liu 1,  Qi Zhang 1,  Jiahui Tang 1,  Zhe Liu 1,  Jinpeng Yang 1,  Yuze Chen 1,  Yehong Zhuo 2,  Yiqing Li 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
  • 2 State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, 510060, China. Electronic address: liyiqing3@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
  • 3 State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, 510060, China. Electronic address: zhuoyh@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
PMID: 38134974 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.12.008
Abstract

The molecular mechanism of how reduced mobile zinc (Zn2+) affected retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival and optic nerve regeneration after optic nerve crush (ONC) injury remains unclear. Here, we used conditionally knocked out ZnT-3 in the amacrine cells (ACs) of mice (CKO) in order to explore the role of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NFE2L2, Nrf2) and Autophagy in the protection of RGCs and axon regeneration after ONC injury. We found that reduced Zn2+ can promote RGC survival and axonal regeneration by decreasing ROS, activating Nrf2, and inhibiting Autophagy. Additionally, Autophagy after ONC is regulated by ROS and Nrf2. Visual function in mice after ONC injury was partially recovered through the reduction of Zn2+, achieved by using a Zn2+ specific chelator N,N,N',N'-tetrakis-(2-Pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (TPEN) or through CKO mice. Overall, our data reveal the crosstalk between Zn2+, ROS, Nrf2, and Autophagy following ONC injury. This study verified that TPEN or knocking out ZnT-3 in ACs is a promising therapeutic option for the treatment of optic nerve damage and elucidated the postsynaptic molecular mechanism of Zn2+-triggered damage to RGCs after ONC injury.

Keywords

Nerve regeneration; Neuroprotection; Optic nerve crush; Oxidative stress; Zn(2+); autophagy.

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