Valproic Acid Reduces Neuroinflammation to Provide Retinal Ganglion Cell Neuroprotection in the Retina Axotomy Model

• DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.903436
• Publication Date: 2022-05-12T06:58:14Z
• Authors: James R. Tribble; Elizabeth Kastanaki; A. Berşan Uslular; Carola Rutigliani; Tim J. Enz; Pete A. Williams
• Keywords: Valproic Acid; Gliosis

Neuroinflammation is a critical and targetable pathogenic component of neurodegenerative diseases, including glaucoma, the leading cause irreversible blindness. Valproic acid has previously been demonstrated to reduce neuroinflammation neuroprotective in number experimental settings. To determine whether valproic can limit retinal protect neurons we used an ex vivo retina explant (axotomy) model isolate resident glial responses from blood-derived monocytes. Neuroinflammatory status was defined using high resolution confocal imaging with 3D morphological reconstruction cytokine protein arrays. significantly reduced microglia astrocyte changes, consistent reduction pro-inflammatory phenotypes. Cytokine profiling that attenuated or prevented expression cytokines injured retina. This identifies as useful tool explore rapid timescale whilst maintaining complex system cell interactions drug further anti-neuroinflammatory strategies disease.