{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T16:54:32Z","timestamp":1770915272596,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,30]],"date-time":"2020-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1593475200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a sight-threatening disease with limited treatment options. We investigated whether amyloid \u03b21-40 (A\u03b21-40) could cause pyroptosis and evaluated the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on A\u03b21-40 oligomers-induced retinal pigment epithelium 19 (ARPE-19) damage, which is an in vitro AMD model. A\u03b21-40 oligomers verified by Western blot were added to ARPE-19 cells with or without 24 h LBP treatment. A\u03b21-40 oligomers significantly decreased ARPE-19 cell viability with obvious morphological changes under light microscopy. SEM revealed swollen cells with a bubbling appearance and ruptured cell membrane, which are morphological characteristics of pyroptosis. ELISA results showed increased expression of IL-1\u03b2 and IL-18, which are the final products of pyroptosis. LBP administration for 24 h had no toxic effects on ARPE-19 cells and improved cell viability and morphology while disrupting A\u03b21-40 oligomerization in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, A\u03b21-40 oligomers up-regulated the cellular immunoreactivity of pyroptosis markers including NOD-like receptors protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and membrane N-terminal cleavage product of GSDMD (GSDMD-N), which could be reversed by LBP treatment. Taken together, this study showed that LBP effectively protects the A\u03b21-40 oligomers-induced pyroptotic ARPE-19 cell damages by its anti-A\u03b21-40 oligomerization properties and its anti-pyroptotic effects.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms21134658","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,30]],"date-time":"2020-06-30T09:36:04Z","timestamp":1593509764000},"page":"4658","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":35,"title":["The Effect of Lycium barbarum Polysaccharides on Pyroptosis-Associated Amyloid \u03b21-40 Oligomers-Induced Adult Retinal Pigment Epithelium 19 Cell Damage"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8600-4325","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ming","family":"Yang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kwok-Fai","family":"So","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"},{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4239-6851","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amy Cheuk Yin","family":"Lo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2057-9374","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wai Ching","family":"Lam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e106","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(13)70145-1","article-title":"Global prevalence of age-related macular degeneration and disease burden projection for 2020 and 2040: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"2","author":"Wong","year":"2014","journal-title":"Lancet Glob. 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