In
diabetic retinopathy (DR), high
blood glucose drives chronic oxidative stress and
inflammation that trigger alterations of the neurovascular balance finally resulting in vascular abnormalities and
retinal cell death, which converge towards altered electroretinogram (ERG). In the last years, a growing body of preclinical evidence has suggested that nutrients with anti-inflammatory/
antioxidant properties can be able to hamper DR progression since its very early stages. In the present study, we used a
streptozotocin-induced rat model of DR, which mimics most aspects of the early stages of human DR, to test the preventive efficacy of a novel compound containing
cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G),
verbascoside and
zinc as nutrients with
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Western blot, immunofluorescence and electroretinographic analyses demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition of oxidative stress- and
inflammation-related mechanisms, with a significant counterpart in preventing molecular mechanisms leading to DR-associated vasculopathy and its related
retinal damage. Preventive efficacy of the compound on dysfunctional a- and b-waves was also demonstrated by electroretinography. The present demonstration that natural compounds, possibly as a consequence of vascular rescue following ameliorated oxidative stress and
inflammation, may prevent the apoptotic cascade leading to ERG dysfunction, adds further relevance to the potential application of
antioxidants as a preventive
therapy to counteract DR progression.