Effect of verapamil on some of the pro- and apoptotic factors during prenatal retinal differentiation of mice, Mus musculus

Verapamil is a calcium channel blocker that belongs to the phenylalkylamine group. It has been clinically used for various diseases such as combating hypertension, ischemic heart diseases, supraventricular antiarrhythmic and tycolysis. The study was conducted to investigate the effect of verapamil on selected pro- and apoptotic factors during prenatal retinal differentiation of mice at E14 and E17 of gestation. The pregnant females were classified into two groups, the first is the control and the second receives SC injection of repeated doses of verapamil (40 mg/kg) at the7th day of gestation. The pregnant females were sacrificed at E14 and at E17 of pregnancy and theirocular regions were separated. The retina of mentioned ages were examined at histological andimmunohistochemistry of Cytochrome C, Caspase-3 as a pro-apoptotic; Bak and TNFα R2 asapoptotic factors that engaged in proper normal development. The present findings revealed thatverapamil-treatment exhibited comparative thinning of inner plexiform layer and reduction ofnuclear in E14 and missing of the ganglion layer and comparative decrease of nuclear cells ofE17 comparing to the control. Also, the expression of Cytochrome C, Caspase-3, Bak and TNFαR2 in the developing retina was obviously inhibited in verapamil-treatment at E17 compared to thecontrol group. The study concluded that verapamil, as a calcium channel blocker, has the ability toalter the histology of the retina and suppress the studied markers resulting in disorganization of the eye during prenatal development.