Abstract
Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation is the most common cause of radiation damage to the eyeball and is a risk factor for human corneal damage. We determined the protective effect of fucoxanthin, which is a carotenoid found in common edible seaweed, on ocular tissues against oxidative UVB-induced corneal injury. The experimental rats were intravenously injected with fucoxanthin at doses of 0.5, 5 mg/kg body weight/day or with a vehicle before UVB irradiation. Lissamine green for corneal surface staining showed that UVB irradiation caused serious damage on the corneal surface, including severe epithelial exfoliation and deteriorated epithelial smoothness. Histopathological lesion examination revealed that levels of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), significantly increased. However, pretreatment with fucoxanthin inhibited UVB radiation-induced corneal disorders including evident preservation of corneal surface smoothness, downregulation of proinflammatory cytokine expression, and decrease of infiltrated polymorphonuclear leukocytes from UVB-induced damage. Moreover, significant preservation of the epithelial integrity and inhibition of stromal swelling were also observed after UVB irradiation in fucoxanthin-treated groups. Pretreatment with fucoxanthin may protect against UVB radiation-induced corneal disorders by inhibiting expression of proinflammatory factors, TNF-α, and VEGF and by blocking polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration.
Highlights
Optical radiation includes ultraviolet (UV) radiation (200–400 nm), visible light (400–700 nm), and infrared radiation (700 nm–1 mm)
Superficial corneal analysis provided essential evidence of corneal disorders caused by Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation
These findings suggest that the proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF‐α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), being released in the cornea were effectively inhibited when treated with fucoxanthin
Summary
Optical radiation includes ultraviolet (UV) radiation (200–400 nm), visible light (400–700 nm), and infrared radiation (700 nm–1 mm). Fucoxanthin has therapeutic properties including antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anti-angiogenic, and anti-malarial properties [17,18,19,20,21,22,23]. It exerts protective effects on the liver, blood vessels of the brain, bones, and skin. The effects of fucoxanthin on light-induced damage in the corneal tissues of the eyeball have not been extensively examined. To clarify the roles and underlying mechanisms of fucoxanthin at various stages of ocular lesion, we used a rat model to test the hypothesis that fucoxanthin ameliorates corneal damages caused by UVB irradiation. Expressions of TNF-α and VEGF in the corneal tissues were observed to monitor corneal inflammation
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