Lipoic acid lessens Th1-mediated inflammation in lipopolysaccharide-induced uveitis reducing selectively Th1 lymphocytes-related cytokines release

Abstract

Inflammation results in the production of free radicals. We evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity of lipoic acid in an experimental uveitis model upon a subcutaneous injection of endotoxin into Lewis rats. The role of oxidative stress in the endotoxin-induced uveitis model is well-known. Besides, the Th1 response classically performs a central part in the immunopathological process of experimental autoimmune uveitis. Exogenous sources of lipoic acid have been shown to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Our results show that lipoic acid treatment plays a preventive role in endotoxin-induced oxidative stress at 24 h post-administration and reduced Th1 lymphocytes-related cytokines by approximately 50–60%. Simultaneously, lipoic acid treatment caused a significant reduction in uveal histopathological grading and in the protein concentration in aqueous humors, but not in cellular infiltration.