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A critical role for reactive oxygen species (ROS) in photoreceptor apoptosis has been established. However, the exact molecular mechanisms triggered by oxidative stress in photoreceptor cell death remain undefined. This study delineates the molecular events that occur after treatment of the photoreceptor cell line 661W with the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Cytosolic calcium levels increased during photoreceptor apoptosis, leading to activation of the calcium-dependent proteases calpains. Furthermore, caspase activation also occurred following SNP insult. However, although treatment with the pan-caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp fluoromethyl ketone inhibited caspase activity per se in SNP-treated 661W cells, it did not prevent apoptosis. On the other hand, CR-6 (3,4-dihydro-6-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2,2-dimethyl-1(2H)-benzopyran) acted as a scavenger of ROS and reduced 661W photoreceptor apoptosis induced by SNP by preventing the activation of a pathway in which calpains have a key role. In summary, we report for the first time that both caspases and calpains are involved in 661W photoreceptor apoptosis and that calpain activation can be prevented by the ROS scavenger CR-6.The cell death process of apoptosis is characterized by a series of morphological and biochemical changes, including membrane blebbing, loss of plasma membrane asymmetry, chromatin cleavage, and DNA fragmentation (1, 2). Apoptosis plays a central role in tissue modeling during development and, together with the cell-generating process of mitosis, is responsible for the maintenance of cell numbers in multicellular organisms. Deregulation of apoptosis has been well documented in several human pathologies, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and AIDS (3,4). Apoptosis also appears to be responsible for the cell loss seen in several disorders of the retina, including retinitis pigmentosa (a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders), glaucoma, and macular degeneration (5-8). Experiments aimed at unraveling the signaling pathways of apoptosis have identified several distinct mechanisms, and it has largely been accepted that caspases play a key role in both the initiation and execution pathways of apoptosis. However, the involvement of caspases does not seem to be clear-cut in some tissue systems. For example, there is still considerable controversy as to whether caspases play a role in retinal cell death (9 -12). There is also some uncertainty about the role of caspases in neurodegenerative conditions (13-15). Recent work from our laboratory has indicated that photoreceptor death in animal models of retinitis pigmentosa proceeds in the absence of caspase activity, suggesting a caspase-independent mechanism of cell destruction (11,12,16). The exact mechanisms operating in photoreceptor death are still unclear but may involve calpains rather than caspases as the executing enzymes. These studies also suggested a key role for reactive oxygen species (ROS) 1 and reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) since inhibitors of...

Reactive oxygen species have been implicated in processes involving cellular damage and subsequent cell death, especially in organs such as the eye that are constantly exposed to excitatory signals. However, recent studies have shown that oxidant species can also act as intracellular signalling molecules promoting cell survival, but little is known about this mechanism in the retina. The present study demonstrates for the first time that hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is generated rapidly and acts as a prosurvival signal in response to a variety of apoptotic stimuli in retina-derived 661W cells and in the retinal ganglion cell line RGC-5. Focussing on 661Ws and serum deprivation, we systematically investigated pro-survival and pro-death pathways and discovered that the rapid and transient burst of H 2 O 2 activates the AKT survival pathway. Activation of the apoptotic machinery takes place following the decline of H 2 O 2 to basal levels. To substantiate this proposed pro-survival role of H 2 O 2 , we inhibited the oxidant burst, which exacerbated cell death. Conversely, maintenance of the oxidant signal using exogenous H 2 O 2 enhanced cell survival. Overall, the results presented in this study provide evidence for a novel role of H 2 O 2 in mediating survival of retinal cells in response to apoptotic stimuli.