Crocin protects retinal pigment epithelial cells from oxidative stress through suppression of the MAPK signaling pathway

Oxidative stress damage to retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells is thought to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Crocin, a pharmacologically active component of Crocus sativus L., was reported to have anti-antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. However, whether crocin protects against oxidative stress-induced retinal damage in RPE cells is still unknown. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the protective effect of crocin against oxidative stress-induced cell death in ARPE-19 cells and its underlying mechanism. Our results demonstrated that crocin significantly attenuated H2O2-induced ARPE-19 cell injury by suppressing LDH release. Crocin also decreased H2O2-induced oxidative stress though scavenging ROS accumulation and MDA peroxidation. Furthermore, crocin reversed H2O2-induced Bcl-2 down-regulation and Bax overexpression, inhibited caspase-3 activation, p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylation in ARPE-19 cells. In conclusion, these data suggest that crocin protects against H2O2-induced oxidative stress through suppression of the MAPK signaling pathway in ARPE-19 cells. Thus, crocin may be useful for the prevention or treatment of AMD.