Proteomic analysis of rat retina in a steroid-induced ocular hypertension model: Potential vulnerability to oxidative stress

Purpose: To investigate global protein expression profiles in the retinas of normal and glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertensive rats by proteomic analysis. Methods: Ocular hypertension was induced by topical application of dexamethasone (DEX) for 4 weeks. Age-matched untreated rats served as controls. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was monitored by an electronic tonometer. Retinal protein expression profiling was carried out by two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE). Proteins were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Results: In DEX-treated rats, average IOP was elevated significantly compared with controls. With DEX treatment, levels of four proteins were altered, as revealed by 2-D DIGE and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry: apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1), a lipid-binding protein, upregulated 1.9-fold, P < 0.05; alpha A crystallin (CRYAA), a molecular chaperone, downregulated 2.7-fold, P < 0.01; superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), an antioxidant enzyme, downregulated 2.3-fold, P < 0.05; and triosephosphate isomerase 1 (TPI1), a glycolytic enzyme, downregulated 2.3-fold, P < 0.01. Conclusions: Downregulation of CRYAA, SOD1, and TPI1, observed here after a short period of DEX-induced ocular hypertension, may be involved in the onset of neural damage in steroid-induced glaucoma.