Protective effect of selenium supplementation following oxidative stress mediated by glucose on retinal pigment epithelium

Abstract

There are many conditions that affect the retina. However, diabetic retinopathy (RD) as a complication of Diabetes Mellitus continues to be the leading cause of blindness in working people globally. Diabetic retinopathy is an ocular complication of diabetes that is caused by the deterioration of the blood vessels that supply the retina, which has the consequence that the vision deteriorates irreversibly. The retina, and specifically the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is the only neural tissue that is exposed directly and frequently to light, which favors the oxidation of lipids that become extremely toxic to the cells of the retina. The RPE is a natural barrier playing an important role in the absorption of light and reduction of light scatter within the eye. In addition, the retina is the tissue that proportionally consumes more oxygen, which generates a high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The retina is particularly sensitive to hyperglycemia and oxidative stress. The eye tissues are enriched in certain antioxidants in the form of metabolic enzymes or small molecules. Since selenium is essential for regulating the activity of the enzymes involved in protection against oxidative stress, providing selenium to the ocular tissues could be useful for the treatment of different ocular pathologies. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the potential efficacy of selenium in human RPE against glucose-induced oxidative stress and its implications for GPx activity. Chromatographic techniques based on HPLC-ICP-MS will be applied in combination with isotope pattern deconvolution (IPD) to study the effects of selenium supplementation and hyperglycemia in an in vitro model of RPE cells.