Neurosteroids Are Endogenous Neuroprotectants in an Ex Vivo Glaucoma Model

The 2014 study explored the neuroprotective role of the neurosteroid allopregnanolone in a rat model of glaucoma. Researchers subjected rat retinas to various hydrostatic pressures and found that high pressure (75 mm Hg) significantly increased allopregnanolone production, which was reduced by inhibitors like finasteride and dutasteride, as well as by an NMDAR antagonist, APV. Allopregnanolone was shown to protect the retina from pressure-induced damage through GABAA receptors, as its protective effect was reversed by the GABA receptor antagonist picrotoxin. The study concluded that allopregnanolone could be a potential therapeutic target for preventing retinal damage in glaucoma, but also raised concerns about the use of 5α-reductase inhibitors in men with glaucoma, as these drugs could inhibit neurosteroid synthesis and potentially worsen retinal damage during elevated intraocular pressure. The exact number of rat eyecups used in the study was not specified in the summary provided.