Protective effect of hepatocyte growth factor against degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptor in sodium iodate-injected rats.

Purpose: To investigate the possible protective effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) against degeneration of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in vivo. Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received an intravitreal injection of HGF in the right eye. The left eye was injected with vehicle as a control. Two days after the intravitreal injections, rats were administered 40 mg/kg of sodium iodate (NaIO3) intravenously. Scotopic ERGs were elicited by different stimulus intensities with a maximum luminance of 0.84 log cds/m2. To evaluate RPE function, the azide response was evoked by intravenous injection of 0.1 mg sodium azide. These electrophysiological measurements were conducted on days 4, 7, 14, and 28 after the NaIO3 injections. After recording ERGs or azide response, animals were sacrificed for quantification of the histological change and immunohistochemical analysis using antibodies against RPE 65. Results: The threshold for the scotopic b-wave was significantly lower in HGF-treated e...