Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) protects retinal pigment epithelial cells from oxidative stress-induced cell death by activating glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1)

Xiaobin Liu, Christy Xavier, Jamieson Jann, Hongli Wu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Protein glutathionylation, defined as the formation of protein mixed disulfides (PSSG) between cysteine residues and glutathione (GSH), can lead to cell death. Glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1) is a thiol repair enzyme which catalyzes the reduction of PSSG. Therefore, Grx1 exerts strong anti-apoptotic effects by improving the redox state, especially in times of oxidative stress. However, there is currently no compound that is identified as a Grx1 activator. In this study, we identified and characterized Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), a natural compound, as a Grx1 inducer, which potently protected retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from oxidative injury. Our results showed that treatment with Sal B protected primary human RPE cells from H2O2-induced cell damage. Interestingly, we found Sal B pretreatment upregulated Grx1 expression in RPE cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), the key transcription factor that regulates the expression of Grx1, was activated in Sal B treated RPE cells. Further investigation showed that knockdown of Grx1 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly reduced the protective effects of Sal B. We conclude that Sal B protects RPE cells against H2O2-induced cell injury through Grx1 induction by activating Nrf2 pathway, thus preventing lethal accumulation of PSSG and reversing oxidative damage.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1835
JournalInternational journal of molecular sciences
Volume17
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - 3 Nov 2016

Keywords

  • Glutaredoxin 1
  • Oxidative stress
  • Protein glutathionylation
  • Retinal pigment epithelial cells
  • Salvianolic acid B

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