Melatonin attenuates the inflammatory response in rats with oxygen-induced retinopathy through the cGAS-STING-NLRP3 pathway
10.16557/j.cnki.1000-7547.2025.04.003
- VernacularTitle:褪黑素通过cGAS-STING-NLRP3通路减轻氧诱导视网膜病变大鼠的炎症反应
- Author:
Chenxu WANG
1
;
Peilun XIAO
;
Yuze ZHAO
;
Lijun ZHANG
;
Zhongbao LIU
;
Yuxuan LIN
;
Xiaoli WANG
;
Yansong ZHAO
Author Information
1. 山东第二医科大学:附属医院眼科,潍坊 261053
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
oxygen-induced retinopathy(OIR);
melatonin(Mel);
cGAS-STING-NLRP3 pathway;
microglia;
py-roptosis;
rat
- From:
Chinese Journal of Neuroanatomy
2025;41(4):429-436
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate the effects of melatonin(Mel)on inflammatory damage in the retina of rats with oxygen-induced retinopathy(OIR)and the molecular mechanisms.Methods:Healthy neonatal SD rats were di-vided into the sham group(Sham),the model group(OIR),and the melatonin treatment group(OIR+Mel).The OIR model was induced by alternating 50%/10%oxygen concentration exposure for 14 d.The OIR+Mel group was in-jected intraperitoneally with 10 mg-kg-1 melatonin.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to observe the morpho-logical changes in the retinal tissue;immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of retinal cleaved-caspase-1 and IL-1β proteins;and immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression of cGAS-STING-NL-RP3 signaling molecules and gasdermin(GSDMD)in the microglia of the retina.Results:HE staining results showed that compared with the Sham group,the retinal cells in the OIR group were disorganized and the thickness of the inner retina was significantly thinner,and the retinal cells in the OIR+Mel group were more neatly arranged compared with those in the OIR group(P<0.05).Immunohistochemical staining results showed that the number of cleaved-caspase-1+and IL-1β+cells in the retina of rats in the OIR group increased significantly compared with that in the Sham group,and the number of cleaved-caspase-1+and IL-1β+cells in the retina of rats in the OIR+Mel group decreased signifi-cantly compared with that of the OIR group(P<0.05).Immunofluorescence staining results showed that the number of cGAS+,STING+and NLRP3+cells in the retina of rats in the OIR group increased significantly compared with that in the Sham group,and the number of cGAS+,STING+and NLRP3+cells in the retina of rats in the OIR+Mel group de-creased significantly compared with that in the OIR group(P<0.05);The number of Iba-1+/N-GSDMD+cells in-creased significantly in the OIR group compared with the Sham group,whereas the number of Iba-1+/N-GSDMD+cells in the OIR+Mel group was significantly less than that in the OIR group,but still more than that in the Sham group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Mel inhibits the pyroptosis of retinal microglia,thus attenuates retinal inflammatory injury in OIR rats,and its mechanism may be related to the cGAS-STING-NLRP3 signaling pathway.
