Tropisetron attenuates high glucose‐induced oxidative stress and inflammation in ARPE‐19 cells in vitro via regulating SIRT1/ROCK1 signaling

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of acquired blindness in diabetic patients. Tropisetron (TRO) exerts potent therapeutic effects against diabetic tissues. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of TRO on retinal injury under diabetic condition. Human retinal pigment epithelial cell line ARPE‐19 was treated with high glucose (HG) for 48 h to mimic hyperglycemia‐induced retinal damage and subsequently treated with multiple concentrations of TRO for therapeutic intervention. Cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release were detected to assess cell damage. The production of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress‐related factors was evaluated by corresponding commercial kits. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. The expression of inflammation‐, apoptosis‐, and SIRT1/ROCK1‐related proteins was examined using western blot analysis. Additionally, ARPE‐19 cells were transfected with over‐express ROCK1 (Ov‐ROCK1) or pretreatment with SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 to perform the rescue experiments. TRO alleviated cell damage in HG‐induced ARPE‐19 cells through elevating cell viability and reducing LDH release. HG‐caused excessive production of TNF‐α, IL‐1β and IL‐6, ROS, malondialdehyde and decreased superoxide dismutase activity were partly inhibited by TRO treatment. HG‐induced cell apoptosis, accompanied with the upregulation of proapoptotic proteins and the downregulation of antiapoptotic proteins, was hindered by TRO treatment. HG led to the loss of SIRT1 and an elevation of ROCK1 in ARPE‐19 cells, which was reversed following TRO treatment. Furthermore, pretreatment with EX527 or transfected with Ov‐ROCK1 partially abolished the protective role of TRO against inflammation, oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in HG‐challenged ARPE‐19 cells. TRO exerted a protective role against HG‐caused ARPE‐19 cells inflammation, oxidative stress and cell apoptosis by regulating SIRT1/ROCK1 axis, suggesting that TRO might be therapeutic agent for alleviating retinal pigment epithelial cell damage in DR.