Different effects of valproic acid on photoreceptor loss in Rd1 and Rd10 retinal degeneration mice

摘要

PurposeThe histone-deacetylase inhibitor activity of valproic acid (VPA) was discovered after VPA’s adoption as an anticonvulsant. This generated speculation for VPA’s potential to increase the expression of neuroprotective genes. Clinical trials for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are currently active, testing VPA’s potential to reduce photoreceptor loss; however, we lack information regarding the effects of VPA on available mammalian models of retinal degeneration, nor do we know if retinal gene expression is perturbed by VPA in a predictable way. Thus, we examined the effects of systemic VPA on neurotrophic factor and Nrl-related gene expression in the mouse retina and compared VPA’s effects on the rate of photoreceptor loss in two strains of mice, Pde6b^rd1/rd1 and Pde6b^rd10/rd10.