Protective Effect of Fangchinoline Against Glaucoma and Neuroinflammation in Unilateral Ocular Hypertension in Mice

Shuangle Li, Ningjun Ni, Xiaomei Wu, Tu Lan and Yifei Yu

Background and Objective: Glaucoma is an optic nerve injury caused by a rise in intraocular pressure. Conventional drugs are available for the management of the disorder but do not prevent it, so there is a need to find novel therapies for it. The current study assesses the efficacy of fangchinoline in treating glaucoma and speculates on the proposed mode of action. Materials and Methods: Unilateral ocular hypertension was induced by exposing the mice to laser and administering fangchinoline 10 and 30 mg kg^–1 i.p., for 1 week. Intraocular pressure was measured after the 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days of laser exposure. The level of oxidative stress markers, inflammatory cytokines and glutamate were estimated in glaucoma animals. Microglia and RGCs count were done in the retinal tissue of glaucoma mice. Results: The fangchinoline-administered group expressed a substantial reduction in IOP when compared to an untreated control group of animals. The animals administered fangchinoline had lower levels of inflammation-related cytokines and oxidative stress in their aqueous humour than the animals in the negative control group. The glutamate level, RGC and microglia count were all higher in the group of animals given fangchinoline compared to an untreated control group. Conclusion: According to the findings in the investigation, fangchinoline therapy prevents glaucoma in mice with unilateral ocular hypertension by lowering neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.

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