Inhibition of the oxidative stress-induced miR-23a protects the human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells from apoptosis through the upregulation of glutaminase and glutamine uptake.

The degeneration of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in the sub retinal pigment epithelial space and choroid is an initial pathological characteristic for the age-related macular degeneration which is the leading cause of severe vision loss in old people. Moreover, oxidative stress is implicated as a major inducer of RPE cell death. Here, we assessed the correlation between the H2O2-induced RPE cell death and glutamine metabolism.