Mechanism of the aging phenomenon with passage of human retinal pigment epithelial cell

Abstract

Background Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell senescence damage the metabolism of photoreceptor,leading to retinal dysfunction and loss of vision.To understand RPE cell senescence mechanism will contribute to the study of age-related macular degeneration ( AMD). Objective The present study was to prepare the ageing RPE cell model with passage and explore its potential mechanisms. Methods This study was approved by the Ethic Committee of Qingdao University Medical College,and the informed consent was obtained from each gravida.Six human eyeballs were obtained from artificial labor fetusl with the gestational age 16-28 weeks.RPE cells were isolated,cultured and passaged in vitro to establish the cell replicative aging model.The third to twelfth cells were collected to be used to this experiment.Human keratin was used to identify the cells by immunochemistry,and MTT method was utilized to assess the proliferation and viability of different generations of cells as the A490 value.The cellular cycles and transmembrane potential (△ψm) of mitochondrion (△ψm) with passage were detected and compared using Flow Cytometry. Results Cultured and passaged cells showed the hexagon in shape with the melanin in 1-2 generations of cells and presented with the brown staining in cytoplasm for human keratin.The melanin was absent in the third generation cells.Vibrant growth statues were seen from the 3-6 generations cells and thereafter the proliferation ability reduced.The cells of G0/G1 phase were gradually elevated with the passage from 3 - 12 generations with a percentage of 68.40％ in the third generation of cells to 87.33％ in the twelfth generation of cells,showing a significant difference among various generations ( F =180.43,P =0.00),and that of the sixth,ninth and twelfth generation of cells was significant higher than the third,sixth and ninth generation respectively (t =4.002,P＜0.05 ; t=12.885,P＜0.01 ;t=16.387,P＜0.01 ).MTT assay showed that of RPE cells were significantly declined with the passage ( F =38.77,P =0.00),and the A490 value of the ninth,twelfth generations of cells was considerably lower in comparison with sixth and ninth generation respectively ( t =5.991,11.983,P＜0.01 ).From 3 through 12 generations of cells,the staining intensity of rhodamine 123 was gradually decreased ( F =121.68,P =0.00 ),and the staining intensity in the sixth,ninth and twelfth generation of cells was significant lower than that the third,sixth and ninth generation respectively(t=6.918,7.620,11.207,P＜0.01 ). Conclusions A replicative aging model can be successfully created by the passage in vitro using human fetal RPE cells.The reduce of transmembrane potential and damage of mitochondria might be one of mechanisms of senescence of RPE cells. Key words: Retina/pigment epithelium; Cell ageing; Cell cycle; Mitochondria; Transmembrane potential