2.3. Measurement of the pIκB/IκB Ratio in the Retina

After 14 days of AST administration, the phosphorylated (p) IκB/total IκB ratio in the retina was measured using the PathScan® Phospho-IκBα (Ser32) Sandwich ELISA Kit (Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA) and PathScan® Total IκBα Sandwich ELISA Kit (Cell Signaling Technology), respectively. Seven to eight eyes from four animals were used for each group. Briefly, retinas were collected from the mice following 14 days of AST administration, and proteins were extracted from the retina using a cell lysis buffer (Cell signaling Technology). The concentrations of pIκB and IκB were measured in accordance with the protocols of the ELISA kits mentioned above, respectively, and the pIκB/IκB ratio was calculated.