Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
Alpha-Asarone Ameliorates Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration by Modulating the P2X7/NLRP3 Inflammasome Axis
By Xin Wang, Yuxiu Bi, Yuxiang Liu and 4 others.
Abstract
Purpose
To examine whether α-asarone (ASA) protects dry age-related macular degeneration (dAMD) from sodium iodate (SI) injury by modulating the P2X7-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome axis.
Methods
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with SI to establish a dAMD model. Retinal structure and function were evaluated using electroretinography (ERG), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and hematoxylin-eosin staining, whereas the expression of functional and inflammatory proteins was analyzed via immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and cellular thermal shift assays (CETSA) were performed to explore the potential interaction between ASA and P2X7. In vitro, SI-stimulated ARPE-19 cells were used to evaluate the protective effects of ASA and the involvement of P2X7 through Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, Fluo-4 staining, YO-PRO-1 uptake detection, ELISA, and Western blotting.
