The present study aimed to investigate the in vitro effect of human adipose derived stem cells (hADSCs) and their secretions on viability of retinal cells and the axonal growth. After isolation, the rat retina was kept in containers covered with poly-D-lysine/laminin, after preparing the supernatant of hADSCs, the retina along with cells and hADSCs conditioned medium (CM) were co-cultured. The viability was assessed by 3-[4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay at days 1, 7 and 14, and axonal growth of retinal cells was analyzed by Image J software using Neurite J plug-in. The expression of PI3K/Akt pathway genes and its proteins were evaluated through real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot, respectively. Anti-oxidant effects of hADSCs and their CM were measured by measuring the retina cells level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and glutathione (GSH). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and NT-4 in the CM were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The CM contained high levels of BDNF, NT-3 and NT-4 compared to the control group. The expression of genes and proteins of the PI3K/Akt pathway along with levels of TBARS, FRAP and GSH was also increased in the group of hADSCs and their CM compared to the control group. The results of this study showed that hADSCs can increase the axonal growth and survival of rat retinal cells through anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and paracrine stimulation, as well as through the PI3K/Akt pathway.

KEY WORDS: Adipose-Derived Stem Cells; Retina; Anti-oxidant; PI3K/Akt pathway; Co-culture.

MI, G.; LI, B.; GONG, X.; WU, J.; ZHANG, Y.; MA, L. & SHENG, L. Human adipose-derived stem cells promote axonal growth and survival of rat retinal ganglionic cells through anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, and paracrine stimulation via the PI3K/Akt pathway. Int. J. Morphol., 42(6):1464-1473, 2024.