Abstract:  Objective To study the mechanism of neuroprotective action of puerarin on retinal ganglion cells in a rat model of optic nerve clipping injury. Design Experimental study. Participants 54 SD rats. Method SD rats were randomly divided into three groups ( each group n=18). The treatment group (optical nerve crush+puerarin, ONC+PUE) received puerarin eye drops (10mg/ml) twice a day, since 2 hours after optic nerve clipping injury. The control group rats were treated with sterile physiological saline eye drops twice a day, since 2 hours after optic nerve clipping injury. Blank group rats were not injury operated on. Rats were euthanized 15 days later and subjected to retinal cell apoptosis, transcriptome, and metabolome analysis. Main Outcome Measures The number of TUNEL positive cells in retina, transcriptome and metabolome data analysis. Results The number of apoptotic cells of retina in the control group increased compared to the blank group, while the number of apoptotic cells in the treatment group decreased compared to the control group (P<0.01). Puerarin regulates the expression of Col6a2, Col1a2, Vcan, and Fbln1 genes through the AGE-RAGE pathway and cytoskeleton pathway (all P<0.05), and participates in regulating the metabolism of substances such as alanine, aspartate, glutamate, and arginine in retina (all P<0.05). Conclusion Puerarin treatment may reduce apoptosis of optic ganglion cells in a rat model of optic nerve clipping injury. Puerarin can regulate the expression of Col6a2, Col1a2, Vcan, and Fbln1 genes, as well as the metabolism of alanine, aspartate, glutamate, and arginine in the retina of rats after optic nerve clipping injury, and may therefore have a neuroprotective effect on the damage and apoptosis of the retinal ganglion cells in rats after optic nerve clipping injury.

Key words: Optic nerve clipping injury/pathophysiology, Puerarin