Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes and is the leading cause of blindness in people with diabetes. At present, there are many views on the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, including the changes of retinal microenvironment caused by high glucose, the formation of advanced glycation end products, oxidative stress injury, inflammatory reaction and angiogenesis factor. These mechanisms produce a common pathway that leads to retinal degeneration and microvascular injury in the retina. In recent years, cell regeneration therapy plays an increasingly important role in the process of repairing diseases. Different types of stem cells have neurological and vascular protection for the retina, but the focus of the target is different. It has been reported that stem cells can regulate the retinal microenvironment and protect the retinal nerve cells by paracrine production, and can also reduce immune damage through potential immunoregulation, and can also differentiate into damaged cells by regenerative function. Combined with the above characteristics, stem cells show the potential for the repair of diabetic retinopathy, this stem cell-based regenerative therapy for clinical application provides a pre-based evident. However, in the process of stem cell transplantation, homogeneity of stem cells, cell delivery, effective homing and transplantation to damaged tissue is still a problem of cell therapy.
Objective To observe the expression of N-cadherin in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Sprague-Dawley (SD) ratsprime;retinae. Methods Celiac injection with 65 mg/kg STZ was performed on 20 rats to set up the diabetic model, and celiac injection with the same volume citrate buffer was performed on other 20 SD rats as the control. Vascular permeability was detected by Evans blue method. The expression of N-cadherin in both normal and STZ-induced diabetic ratsprime;retinae and trypsinase-digested retinal microvessels were detected by immunohistochemistry method and Western blotting analysis. Results Retinal vascular permeability increased 68%, 91% and 125% 4, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively, after diabetic models was induced (Plt;0.005). In the control group, the expression of N-cadherin was detected in the outer and inner plexiform layer, inner nuclear layer，ganglion cell layer,internal limiting membrane and between retinal endothelial cells and pericytes. However, the expression of N-cadherin significantly decreased in STZ-induced diabetic rats retinae at the 12th week. The results of Western blotting analysis showed that the expression of N-cadherin obviously decreased as the diabetic retinopathy developed. Conclusion The decrease of expression of Ncadherin in the retinae of STZ-induced diabetic rats suggests that N-cadherin may participate in the development of diabetic retinopathy at the early stage. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,2007,23:269-272)
ObjectiveTo observe the correlation between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).MethodsFrom October 2016 to December 2018, 50 cases of CSC patients (CSC group) and 50 healthy people (control group) matched by age and sex who were diagnosed in the ophthalmological examination of Xi’an No.3 Hospital were included in the study. According to the course of the disease, CSC was divided into acute phase and chronic phase, with 20 and 30 cases respectively. The average age (Z=1.125) and body mass index (BMI) (Z=0.937) of the two groups were compared, and the difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05); the age of patients with different courses of CSC (Z=1.525) and gender composition ratio (χ2=0.397) and BMI (Z=1.781) were compared, the difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05). The Berlin questionnaire was used to assess the OSAS risk of subjects in the CSC group and the control group; polysomnography was used to monitor the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and minimum blood oxygen saturation (MOS) during night sleep. OSAS diagnostic criteria: typical sleep snoring, daytime sleepiness, AHI (times/h) value ≥ 5. The severity of OSAS was classified as mild OSAS: 5≤AHI＜15; moderate OSAS: 15≤AHI＜30; severe OSAS: AHI≥30. Non-normally distributed measurement data were compared by rank sum test; count data were compared by χ2 test. Spearman correlation analysis was performed on the correlation between OSAS and CSC.ResultsThe AHI data in the CSC group and the control group were 17.46±3.18 and 15.72±4.48 times/h, respectively; the MOS were (83.48±4.68)% and (87.40±3.82)%, respectively; those diagnosed with OSAS were respectively 36 (72.00%, 36/50) and 13 (26.00%, 13/50) cases. AHI (Z=0.312), MOS (Z=0.145), and OSAS incidence (χ2=21.17) were compared between the two groups of subjects, and the differences were statistically significant (P=0.028, 0.001,＜0.001). The AHI of acute and chronic CSC patients were 15.95±3.02 and 18.47±2.92 times/h; the MOS were (86.10±11.07)% and (81.73±4.58)%, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in AHI (Z=0.134) and MOS (Z=0.112) in patients with different course of disease (P=0.005, 0.001). The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed that OSAS and CSC were positively correlated (r=0.312, P=0.031).ConclusionOSAS may be a risk factor for the onset of CSC.
ObjectiveTo observe RNA-Seq analysis of gene expression profiling in retinal vascular endothelial cells after anti-vascular endothecial growth factor (VEGF) treatment.MethodsRetinal vascular endothelial cells were cultured in vitro, and the logarithmic growth phase cells were used for experiments. The cells were divided into the control group and high glucose group. The cells of two groups were cultured for 5 hours with 5, 25 mmol/L glucose, respectively. And then, whole transcriptome sequencing approach was applied to the above two groups of cells through RNA-Seq. Now with biological big data obtained as a basis, to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). And through enrichment analysis to explain the differential functions of DEGs and their signal pathways.ResultsThe gene expression profiles of the two groups of cells were obtained. Through analysis, 449 DEGs were found, including 297 upregulated and 152 downregulated ones. The functions of DEGs were influenced by regulations over molecular biological process, cellular energy metabolism and protein synthesis, etc. Among these genes, ITGB1BP2, NCF1 and UNC5C were related to production of inflammation; AKR1C4, ATP1A3, CHST5, LCTL were related to energy metabolism of cells; DAB1 and PRSS55 were related to protein synthesis; SMAD9 and BMP4 were related to the metabolism of extracellular matrix. GO enrichment analysis showed that DEGs mainly act in three ways: regulating biological behavior, organizing cellular component and performing molecular function, which were mainly concentrated in the system generation of biological process part and regulation of multicellular organisms. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that gene expressions of the two cell groups were differentiated in transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway, complement pathway and amino acid metabolism-related pathways have also been affected, such as tryptophan, serine and cyanide. Among them, leukocyte inhibitory factor 9 and bone morphogenetic protein 4 play a role through the TGF-β signaling pathway.ConclusionsHigh glucose affects the function of retinal vascular endothelial cells by destroying transmembrane conduction of retinal vascular endothelial cells, metabolism of extracellular matrix, and transcription and translation of proteins.
O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) glycosylation is an important form of post-translational protein modification, mainly intracellular. It is closely related to cellular signaling pathways, and is involved in signal transduction, gene transcription and other important biological processes. Studies have found that O-GlcNAc glycosylation is directly related with diabetic retinopathy (DR), further studies may help us to uncover the DR mechanism, and develop new strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
ObjectiveTo assess the association of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene-460C/T and-634C/G polymorphism with diabetic retinopathy (DR) among patients in Asia and European by meta-analysis. MethodsA systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, VIP, Wanfang technological, CNKI, etc.) was carried out until Jun, 2014. Case-control studies on the relationship between genetic polymorphism of VEGF-460C/T and VEGF-634C/G with diabetic retinopathy were included in this analysis. The data were quantitatively analyzed by RevMan 5.0 software after assessing the quality of included studies. The pooled odds ratios (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess the strength of the association. ResultsVEGF-460C/T (7 studies:899 cases and 786 controls) and VEGF-634C/G (10 studies:1615 cases and 1861 controls) were inclued in this meta-analysis. Significant association was found for-460C/T polymorphism in Aisa (C versus T:OR=1.52, 95%CI was, Z=3.72, P=0.0002; CC versus CT+TT:OR=1.61, 95%CI was[1.22, 1.90], Z=3.05, P=0.002; TT versus CT+CC:OR=0.64, 95%CI was[1.19, 2.19], Z=2.07, P=0.04), and VEGF-634CC gene type was associated with DR in European (OR=1.56, 95%CI[1.08, 2.25], Z=2.37, P=0.02). No significant publication bias was found. ConclusionsThe meta-analysis demonstrated that DR was associated with VEGF-460C/T polymorphism in Asia, and C alleles and CC gene type was the risk polymorphism; VEGF-634C/G polymorphism was not associated with DR, but its CC genotype maybe the risk factor in European. Further case-control studies based on larger sample size are still needed, especially for-634C/G polymorphism.
Objective To observe the correlation between postmenopausal estrogen levels and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in women. Methods Thirty-nine menopause female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 17 menopause subjects (control group) were enrolled in this study. Control subjects aged from 53 to 82 years, with the mean age of (69.80±8.32) years. Diabetes mellitus patients aged from 56 to 84 years, with the mean age of (70.50±8.27) years; diabetes duration ranged from 3 to 23 years, with the average course of diabetes (11.40±7.97) years. DR diagnosis was according to the results of fundus fluorescein angiography, and thus the 39 patients were divided into DR group (19 patients) and non-DR (NDR) group (20 patients). There was no significant difference in age and menopause duration between the three groups (t=0.347, 0.485;P＞0.05). There was significant difference in diabetes course (t=2.748,P＜0.05). Compared with NDR group, fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly increased (t=6.130, 5.322, 4.574, 2.426, 4.033), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly lower (t=3.917), the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05). The level of estradiol (E2) was measured by radioimmunoassay. The differences of E2 levels between the three groups were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of DR. Results The levels of E2 in control group, DR group and NDR group were (42.38±8.64), (21.49±9.81) and (32.72±10.51) pg/ml, respectively. The level of E2 in DR group was significantly lower than that in NDR group and control group (t=3.443, 10.110;P＜0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the duration of diabetes mellitus [coefficients =0.166, odds ratio (OR)=1.181,P= 0.016], FBG (coefficients=1.162,OR=4.014,P=0.001), TC (coefficients=3.212,OR=10.820,P=0.002), TG (coefficients=1.649,OR=5.203,P= 0.030) and LDL-C (coefficients=1.605,OR= 4.976,P=0.003) were the risk factors for DR; E2 (coefficients=−0.100,OR=0.904,P=0.004) and HDL-C (coefficients=−4.460,OR=0.012,P=0.002) were the protective factors for DR. Conclusion The estrogen level of postmenopausal women have a certain correlation with the development of DR, it may be one of the protective factor of DR.