Effect of Yiyinmingmu decoction regulating TRAAK expression on proliferation and apoptosis of hypoxic retinal ganglion cells

Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of Yiyinmingmu decoction on the proliferation and apoptosis of hypoxic retinal ganglion cells RGC5.Methods: RGC5 cells were divided into control group, hypoxic group, low-dose Yiyinmingmu decoction group, medium-dose Yiyinmingmu decoction group and high-dose Yiyinmingmu decoction group.Low, medium and high dose Yiyinmingmu decoction groups were treated respectively with 10 μmol/L, 20 μmol/L and 40 μmol/L Yiyinmingmu decoction for 4 h and then cultured under hypoxia for 24 h.The hypoxic group was only treated with hypoxia for 24 h.Si-con and si-TRAAK were transfected into RGC5 cells and treated with hypoxia for 24 h after 10 h.CCK8 and western blotting were used to detect cell proliferation and the protein expressions of Cyclin D1, Ki-67, Cleaved Caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2 and TRAAK, respectively.Apoptosis and TRAAK gene expression were detected respectively by TUNEL method and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).Results: Compared with the control group, the cell proliferation rate and protein expression levels of TRAAK, CyclinD1, Ki-67, and Bcl-2 decreased in the hypoxia group, while the cell apoptosis rate and expression levels of Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax increased (all P＜0.05).Compared with the hypoxia group, the cell proliferation rate and expression levels of TRAAK, CyclinD1, Ki-67, and Bcl-2 increased in the medium and high dose Yiyinmingmu decoction groups, while the cell apoptosis rate and protein expression levels of Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax decreased (all P＜0.05).Silencing TRAAK expression could reverse the above effect of Yiyinmingmu decoction on hypoxic RGC5 cells (all P＜0.05).Conclusion: Yiyinmingmu decoction may promote hypoxia-induced proliferation of retinal ganglion cells and inhibit cell apoptosis by up-regulating TRAAK expression.