Curcumin Protects Trabecular Meshwork Cells From Oxidative Stress.

PURPOSE: Glaucoma is closely linked with oxidative stress and inflammation, and difficult to treat. Its occurrence frequently is contributed by the failure of the trabecular meshwork (TM). Curcumin is known as an antioxidative and anti-inflammatory substance, possessing the potential to treat glaucoma.

METHODS: Using TM cells as the in vitro model system, we investigated the effects of curcumin on oxidative stress-induced markers for TM impairments, including cell death, production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (iROS), induction of proinflammatory proteins, activation of senescence marker, accumulation of carbonylated proteins, and apoptotic cell numbers.

RESULTS: Curcumin treatment protected TM cells against oxidative stress-induced cell death. Curcumin treatment at concentrations between 1 and 20 μM reduced the production of iROS in H2O2-exposed TM cells in a dose-dependent manner. Further studies demonstrated that curcumin treatment (20 μM) significantly inhibited proinflammatory factors, including IL-6, ELAM-1, IL-1α, and IL-8, whereas it decreased activities of senescence marker SA-β-gal, and lowered levels of carbonylated proteins and apoptotic cell numbers.

CONCLUSIONS: Curcumin is capable of protecting TM cells against oxidative stress, shedding new light on potential treatment for glaucoma.