Abstract:
Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of remimazolam (Rem) on retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury (RIRI) and the regulatory mechanism on high mobility group protein B1/receptor for advanced glycation end product/nuclear transcription factor-κB (HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB) signaling pathway in rats.
Methods Randomly divide rats into sham surgery group (Sham group), model group, low-dose Rem (Rem-L) group, medium-dose Rem (Rem-M) group, high-dose Rem (Rem-H) group and high-dose Rem+HMGB1 activator DEX (Rem-H+DEX) group. Except for the Sham group, the RIRI rat model was constructed by increasing intraocular pressure. HE staining was used to detect the structural changes of retinal tissue. TUNEL staining was used to observe retinal histiocyte apoptosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent disease (ELISA) was used to detect the expression levels of serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in each group. The levels of SOD, GSH-PX and MDA were detected by the kits. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of hypoxia-related factors hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), VEGF and HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins in retinal tissue.
Results Compared with the Sham group, the retina of the Model group was highly edema, the number of ganglion cells was greatly reduced, the cells showed vacuole-like changes, and the arrangement was disordered, and the intercellular space was widened. While with the increase of Rem injection dose, the degree of retinal edema of the rats gradually decreased, and the number of ganglion cells increased, and the arrangement gradually became orderly. Compared with the Sham group, the apoptosis rate of retinal cells, serum IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and the expression levels of MDA, HMGB1, RAGE, NF-κB, HIF-1α and VEGF in retinal tissues in the Model group increased (P<0.05), the expression levels of SOD and GSH-PX decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the apoptosis rate of retinal cells, serum IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and the expression levels of MDA, HMGB1, RAGE, NF-κB, HIF-1α and VEGF in retinal tissues in the Rem-L group, Rem-M group and Rem-H group decreased gradually (P<0.05), the expression levels of SOD and GSH-PX increased gradually (P<0.05), the changes in the above indicators are dose-dependent; The addition of the HMGB1 activator DEX reversed the trend of the above indicators.
Conclusion Rem can inhibit rat RIRI, and its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway.