What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the protective effects of fucoidan on retinal ganglion cells in an oxidative stress model.

February 26, 2026Marine Drugs0 citationsOpen Access

From Sea to Sight: Fucoidan Protects Against Oxidative Damage in Porcine Retina Organ Culture

LDLeonie DeppeUniversity Hospitals of the Ruhr-University of Bochum PDPhilipp DörschmannKiel University HDH. Burkhard DickUniversity Hospitals of the Ruhr-University of Bochum

Key Points

To evaluate the protective effects of fucoidan on retinal ganglion cells in an oxidative stress model.
Used porcine retina organ culture model with four treatment groups: control, H2O2, 10 µg/mL fucoidan, and 50 µg/mL fucoidan.
Induced oxidative stress with H2O2 (500 µM for 3 hours).
Assessed RGCs, glial cells, and apoptotic markers using immunohistology and RT-qPCR.
Measured gene expression levels before and after treatments.
H2O2 treatment reduced RGC numbers and RBPMS expression levels.
Fucoidan treatment prevented RGC degeneration and normalized glial activation.
Increased expression of anti-oxidative genes was observed with fucoidan post-stress.
Apoptotic signaling and GPX4 mRNA expression levels were restored with fucoidan.

Abstract

Degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is a hallmark of glaucoma. As RGCs are vulnerable to oxidative imbalance, anti-oxidative strategies are of significant interest as novel therapeutic targets. Fucoidans, bioactive compounds derived from algae, are known to be anti-oxidative. Hence, we investigated if fucoidans have protective effects in a retina organ culture model. Porcine explants were pre-treated with fucoidan (Fucus vesiculosus; FVs) for 0.5 h (10 or 50 µg/mL). Afterwards, damage was induced through H2O2 (500 µM; 3 h). Four groups were investigated: control, H2O2, 10 FVs + H2O2, and 50 FVs + H2O2. RGCs, glial cells, hypoxic/oxidative, apoptotic, and ferroptotic markers were examined by immunohistology, RT-qPCR, and a caspase assay. H2O2 led to lower RGC numbers and RBPMS expression levels while FVs prevented this degeneration. An upregulation of glial expressions and more microglia/macrophages were observed in H2O2 samples, mitigated by FVs. Anti-oxidative genes increased during stress but normalized with FVs. Apoptotic signaling increased while GPX4 mRNA expression decreased with H2O2, both restored by FVs. Consequently, RGC loss was prevented through the attenuation of glial activation, inhibition of hypoxic/oxidative stress, and anti-ferroptotic/apoptotic action mediated by FVs. Advancing glaucoma research, this study emphasizes the therapeutic potential of FVs and offers new directions for future research.

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