Mitochondria- Targeted Antioxidant SkQ1 Reverses Glaucomatous Lesions in Rabbits

Glaucoma is the main cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. This disease is characterized by apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) and visual field loss that seems to be related to elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Several lines of evidences have implicated the crucial role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Increased mitochondrial oxidative stress in RGC may underlie or contribute to susceptibility of RGC to apoptosis. In our work we (i) designed a rabbit model of chronic, moderately elevated IOP for studying glaucoma and (ii) demonstrated efficacy of mitochondria- Targeted antioxidant SkQ1 as a tool to reverse several traits of experimental glaucoma induced by a series of injections of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) to the anterior chamber of the rabbit eye. It is shown that 6 months instillations of drops of 0.2.5-5 ?M solution of SkQ1 normalize IOP and eye hydrodynamics and abolish an increase in lens thickness that accompanies glaucoma

Light-Induced Thiol Oxidation of Recoverin Affects Rhodopsin Desensitization

The excessive light illumination of mammalian retina is known to induce oxidative stress and photoreceptor cell death linked to progression of age-related macular degeneration. The photochemical damage of photoreceptors is suggested to occur via two apoptotic pathways that involve either excessive rhodopsin activation or constitutive phototransduction, depending on the light intensity. Both pathways are dramatically activated in the absence of rhodopsin desensitization by GRK1. Previously, we have shown that moderate illumination (halogen lamp, 1,500 lx, 1–5 h) of mammalian eyes provokes disulfide dimerization of recoverin, a calcium-dependent regulator of GRK1. Here, we demonstrate under in vivo conditions that both moderate long-term (metal halide lamp, 2,500 lx, 14 h, rat model) and intense short-term (halogen lamp, 30,000 lx for 3 h, rabbit model) illumination of the mammalian retina are accompanied by accumulation of disulfide dimer of recoverin. Furthermore, in the second case we reveal alternatively oxidized derivatives of the protein, apparently including its monomer with sulfinic group. Histological data indicate that thiol oxidation of recoverin precedes apoptosis of photoreceptors. Both disulfide dimer and oxidized monomer (or oxidation mimicking C39D mutant) of recoverin exhibit lowered α-helical content and thermal stability of their apo-forms, as well as increased Ca2+ affinity. Meanwhile, the oxidized monomer and C39D mutant of recoverin demonstrate impaired ability to bind photoreceptor membranes and regulate GRK1, whereas disulfide dimer exhibits notably improved membrane binding and GRK1 inhibition in absence of Ca2+. The latter effect is expected to slow down rhodopsin desensitization in the light, thereby favoring support of the light-induced oxidative stress, ultimately leading to photoreceptor apoptosis. Overall, the intensity and duration of illumination of the retina affect thiol oxidation of recoverin likely contributing to propagation of the oxidative stress and photoreceptor damage

Suppression of Light-Induced Oxidative Stress in the Retina by Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidant

Light-induced oxidation of lipids and proteins provokes retinal injuries and results in progression of degenerative retinal diseases, such as, for instance, iatrogenic photic maculopathies. Having accumulated over years retinal injuries contribute to development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Antioxidant treatment is regarded as a promising approach to protecting the retina from light damage and AMD. Here, we examine oxidative processes induced in rabbit retina by excessive light illumination with or without premedication using mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1 (10-(6’-plastoquinonyl)decyltriphenyl-phosphonium). The retinal extracts obtained from animals euthanized within 1–7 days post exposure were analyzed for H2O2, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant activity (AOA), and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) using colorimetric and luminescence assays. Oxidation of visual arrestin was monitored by immunoblotting. The light exposure induced lipid peroxidation and H2O2 accumulation in the retinal cells. Unexpectedly, it prominently upregulated AOA in retinal extracts although SOD and GPx activities were compromised. These alterations were accompanied by accumulation of disulfide dimers of arrestin revealing oxidative stress in the photoreceptors. Premedication of the eyes with SkQ1 accelerated normalization of H2O2 levels and redox-status of lipids and proteins, contemporarily enhancing AOA and, likely, sustaining normal activity of GPx. Thus, SkQ1 protects the retina from light-induced oxidative stress and could be employed to suppress oxidative damage of proteins and lipids contributing to AMD

Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidant SkQ1 Prevents Anesthesia-Induced Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome (DES) is an age-related condition increasingly detected in younger people of risk groups, including patients who underwent ocular surgery or long-term general anesthesia. Being a multifactorial disease, it is characterized by oxidative stress in the cornea and commonly complicated by ocular surface inflammation. Polyetiologic DES is responsive to SkQ1, a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant suppressing age-related changes in the ocular tissues. Here, we demonstrate safety and efficacy of topical administration of SkQ1 at a dosage of 7.5 μM for the prevention of general anesthesia-induced DES in rabbits. The protective action of SkQ1 improves clinical state of the ocular surface by inhibiting apoptotic and prenecrotic changes in the corneal epithelium. The underlying mechanism involves the suppression of the oxidative stress supported by the stimulation of intrinsic antioxidant activity and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, foremost glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, in the cornea. Furthermore, SkQ1 increases antioxidant activity and stability of the tear film and produces anti-inflammatory effect exhibited as downregulation of TNF-α and IL-6 and pronounced upregulation of IL-10 in tears. Our data suggest novel features of SkQ1 and point to its feasibility in patients with DES and individuals at risk for the disease including those subjected to general anesthesia

Regulatory function of the C-terminal segment of guanylate cyclase-activating protein 2

Neuronal responses to Ca(2+)-signals are provided by EF-hand-type neuronal Ca(2+)-sensor (NCS) proteins, which have similar core domains containing Ca(2+)-binding and target-recognizing sites. But NCS proteins vary in functional specificity probably depending on the structure and conformation of their non-conserved C-terminal segments. Here, we investigated the role of the C-terminal segment in guanylate cyclase activating protein-2, GCAP2, an NCS protein controlling the Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of photoreceptor guanylate cyclases. We obtained two chimeric proteins by exchanging C-terminal segments between GCAP2 and its photoreceptor homolog recoverin, a Ca(2+)-sensor controlling rhodopsin kinase (RK) activity. The exchange affected neither the structural integrity of GCAP2 and recoverin nor the Ca(2+)-sensitivity of GCAP2. Intrinsic fluorescence, circular dichroism, biochemical studies and hydrophobic dye probing revealed Ca(2+)-dependent conformational transition of the C-terminal segment of GCAP2 occurring in the molecular environment of both proteins. In Ca(2+)-GCAP2, the C-terminal segment was constrained and its replacement provided the protein with approximately two-fold inhibitory activity towards RK, suggesting that the segment contributes to specific target recognition by interfering with RK-binding. Upon Ca(2+)-release, it became less constrained and more available for phosphorylation by cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinase. The transition from the Ca(2+)-bound to the apo-state exposed hydrophobic sites in GCAP2, and was associated with its activating function without affecting its dimerization. The released C-terminal segment participated further in photoreceptor membrane binding making it sensitive to phosphorylation. Thus, the C-terminal segment in GCAP2 confers target selectivity, facilitates membrane binding and provides sensitivity of the membrane localization of the protein to phosphorylation by signaling kinases

Recoverin Is a Zinc-binding Protein

Recoverin is an N-myristoylated 23 kDa calcium-binding protein from retina, which modulates the Ca2+-sensitive deactivation of rhodopsin via Ca2+-dependent inhibition of rhodopsin kinase. It was shown by intrinsic and bis-ANS probe fluorescence, circular dichroism, and differential scanning calorimetry that myristoylated recombinant recoverin interacts specifically with zinc ions. Similar to the calcium binding, the binding of zinc to Ca2+-loaded recoverin additionally increases its α-helical content, hydrophobic surface area, and environmental mobility/polarity of its tryptophan residues. In contrast to the calcium binding, the binding of zinc decreases thermal stability of the Ca2+-loaded protein. Zn2+-titration of recoverin, traced by bis-ANS fluorescence, reveals binding of a single Zn2+ ion per protein molecule. It was shown that the double-mutant E85Q/E121Q with inactivated Ca2+-binding EF-hands 2 and 3 (Alekseev, A. M.; Shulga-Morskoy, S. V.; Zinchenko, D. V.; Shulga-Morskaya, S. A.; Suchkov, D. V.; Vaganova, S. A.; Senin, I. I.; Zargarov, A. A.; Lipkin, V. M.; Akhtar, M.; Philippov, P. P. FEBS Lett.1998, 440, 116−118), which can be considered as an analogue of the apo-protein, binds Zn2+ ion as well. Apparent zinc equilibrium binding constants evaluated from spectrofluorimetric Zn2+-titrations of the protein are 1.4 × 105 M-1 (dissociation constant 7.1 μM) for Ca2+-loaded wild-type recoverin and 3.3 × 104 M-1 (dissociation constant 30 μM) for the E85Q/E121Q mutant (analogue of apo-recoverin). Study of the binding of wild-type recoverin to ROS membranes showed a zinc-dependent increase of its affinity for the membranes, without regard to calcium content, suggesting further solvation of a protein myristoyl group upon Zn2+ binding. Possible implications of these findings to the functioning of recoverin are discussed