Expression of TNF-α in retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats and the effect of NAC on it

Objective To study the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats and the effect of N-acetylcysteine(NAC) on it.Methods The model of rat retina's ischemia-reperfusion injury was employed by ligation the common carotidartery.sixty SD rats were devided into the ischemia-reperfusion group and the ischemia- reperfusion with NAC treat group.Each group was devided into 1hour,6 hours,12 hours,24 hours,48 hours,72 hours small groups according to the reperfusion time,each small group has 5 rats.In situ hybridization technology was used to test the expression of TNF-α mRNA in different stages of different groups'retina.ERG test was empolyed in different groups and stages.The left /right eye's ERGa,b wave of ampultide ratio were used as the relative recovery ratio.Results TNF-αmRNA could be detected at 6 hours after reperfusion injuried in ischemia-reperfusion group,which reached the highest level at 24 hours.TNF-αmRNA could be detected at 12 hours after reperfusion injuried in ischemia-reperfusion with NAC treat group,which reached the highest level at 24 hours,but its expression was lower than the same time of ischemia-reperfusion group.The relative ERG recovery ratio of ischemia-reperfusion group was lower than NAC group.Conclusion NAC may protect the retina through inhibiting the TNF-α expression in rat's retina which injuried by ischemia-reperfusion.