An in vitro model of ischemic-like stress in retinal pigmented epithelium cells: protective effects of antioxidants

We have developed a model of in vitro cell oxidative stress in bovine retin al pigment epithelium cells exposed to a ischemia-like condition obtained b y interference with glucose utilization through both oxidative phosphorylat ion and glycolysis. This resulted in a statistically significant decrease o f the intracellular ATP levels, which reflects a bioenergetic decline simil ar to that associated with mitochondrial damage or loss in normal post-mito tic cells aging in vivo. This new model of cellular oxygen stress seems ade quate for investigation of the protective action of antioxidants, in agreem ent with the finding of a statistically significant increase in the ATP lev els over the values of the non-treated samples in retinal pigment epitheliu m cells exposed to the above oxygen stress in medium supplemented with 300 mu M vitamin C or 10 mM N-acetylcysteine. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.