Preventive and therapeutic effects of SkQ1-containing Visomitin eye drops against light-induced retinal degeneration.

The human retina is constantly affected by light of varying intensity, this being especially true for photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelium. Traditionally, photoinduced damages of the retina are induced by visible light of high intensity in albino rats using the LIRD (light-induced retinal degeneration) model. This model allows study of pathological processes in the retina and the search for retinoprotectors preventing retinal photodamage.

Mitochondria-targeted plastoquinone derivatives as tools to interrupt execution of the aging program. 4. Age-related eye disease. SkQ1 returns vision to blind animals.

Mitochondria-targeted cationic plastoquinone derivative SkQ1 (10-(6'-plastoquinonyl) decyltriphenylphosphonium) has been investigated as a potential tool for treating a number of ROS-related ocular diseases. In OXYS rats suffering from a ROS-induced progeria, very small amounts of SkQ1 (50 nmol/kg per day) added to food were found to prevent development of age-induced cataract and retinopathies of the eye, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation in skeletal muscles, as well as a decrease in bone mineralization. Instillation of drops of 250 nM SkQ1 reversed cataract and retinopathies in 3-12-month-old (but not in 24-month-old) OXYS rats.

New method of in vitro culturing of pigment retinal epithelium in the structure of the posterior eye sector of adult rat.

We propose a new method of organotypic roller 3D-culturing of the posterior sector of the eye. The method allows maintaining tissue viability in vitro for 14 days (which considerably surpasses the capacities of stationary culturing) and studying of the behavior, of pigment retinal epithelial cells and choriocapillary membrane. Using this method we demonstrated phenotypic transformation, migration, and proliferation of pigment retinal epithelial cells under conditions of roller organotypic culture.