Protective effect of chitosan oligosaccharides on blue light light-emitting diode induced retinal pigment epithelial cell damage

摘要

Excessive blue light light-emitting diode (LED) exposure and consequent oxidative stress causes damage to retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Chitosan oligosaccharides (COSs) are the hydrolyzed products of chitin, which is abundant in the exoskeleton of crustaceans and cell walls of fungi. We investigated the protective effect of COSs on blue light LED-induced RPE cell damage. These cells were treated with various concentrations of COSs and then exposed to blue light LED. Our results confirmed that RPE cell apoptosis increased significantly with longer light exposure. Treatment with COSs significantly reduced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. These molecules also suppressed the production of reactive oxygen species and the expression of inflammation and apoptosis-related proteins. Moreover, COSs stabilized the mitochondrial membrane potential of cells and down-regulated the NF-kappa B pathway. In this study, the protective effects of COSs on blue light LED-induced RPE cell damage, as well as the associated mechanisms, were demonstrated.