Ephedrine causes retinal damage in SD rats associating with JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

This study was to investigate effects of ephedrine on the retina and explore the underlying mechanisms. Sprague Dawley rats were treated with ephedrine (n = 10) or saline (n = 10) by oral gavage for seven days. The retinal morphology was evaluated by Toluidine blue staining. Apoptosis-related markers were detected in the retinal lysate. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to measure neurotransmitters and oxidative stress markers. Real-time PCR and western blot were used to measure gene and protein expression, respectively. Our results demonstrated that ephedrine induced apoptosis in the retina, increased dopamine level as well as oxidative stress, and down-regulated the Jak2/Stat3 gene expression as well as protein expression of p-JAK2/p-STAT3. Our study indicated that ephedrine treatment caused retinal damage in SD rats, which may be associated with the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. PMID: 32602374 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Cutan Ocul Toxicol Source Type: research