Retinal degeneration
In outer retina, LBPs have been shown to decrease apoptosis in photoreceptors of rd1 mice with photoreceptor degeneration.85 Mice homozygous for the rd1 mutation have an early onset severe retinal degeneration due to a murine viral insert and a second nonsense mutation in exon 7 of the Pde6b gene in all mouse strains with the rd1 mutation. LBP treatment increased GPx activity and GSH levels and decreased cysteine concentrations in rd1 retinas.85 These data suggest that the prosurvival effects of LBPs on photoreceptors in rd1 mouse retina are mainly via reduction of oxidative stress.