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  3. Exploring the effect of chlorogenic acid on oxidative stress and autophagy in dry eye mice via the AMPK/ULK1 pathway

Exploring the effect of chlorogenic acid on oxidative stress and autophagy in dry eye mice via the AMPK/ULK1 pathway

  • Eur J Pharmacol. 2025 Mar 15:991:177311. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2025.177311.
Huimei Chen 1,  Jian Shi 1,  Yu Tang 1,  Xiong Chen 1,  Ziyan Wang 2,  Qianhong Liu 1,  Kai Wu 1,  Xiaolei Yao 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410007, Hunan, China; Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Treatment of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology Diseases with Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China.
  • 2 Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China; Yong Zhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China.
  • 3 The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410007, Hunan, China; Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Treatment of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology Diseases with Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 39892448 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2025.177311
Abstract

Dry eye disease (DED) is closely associated with oxidative stress (OS); its high prevalence and the limitations of current treatments highlight the need for highly effective Antioxidants. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) can upregulate the activity of antioxidant Enzymes, hinder the process of lipid peroxidation, and exert potent antioxidant effects. In this study, we established an OS-induced DED mouse model to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of CGA against OS-induced DED. Three aspects were examined: oxidative damage, Apoptosis, and Autophagy. The results demonstrated that CGA improved ocular surface signs in DED mice, decreased inflammatory responses in the meibomian gland (MG), downregulated levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), inhibited Apoptosis and Autophagy, and regulated proteins related to the AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase)/ULK1 (UNC-51-like Kinase 1) signaling pathway in the MG of DED mice. These findings suggest that CGA can attenuate oxidative damage and inhibit related Apoptosis and Autophagy in the MG of DED mice by affecting the expression of proteins related to the AMPK/ULK1 signaling pathway.

Keywords

AMPK/ULK1 signaling pathway; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Chlorogenic acid; Dry eye; Oxidative stress.

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