Involvement of VEGF in both Cell Apoptosis and Survival in the Retina of Type 2 Diabetic OLETF Rats.
- Author:
Young Hee KIM
1
;
Mee Young CHOI
;
Yoon Sook KIM
;
Gu Seob ROH
;
Hyun Joon KIM
;
Sang Soo KANG
;
Wan Sung CHOI
;
Gyeong Jae CHO
Author Information
1. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongnam 660-751, Korea. kjcho@gnu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
VEGF;
Apoptosis;
Retina;
Type 2 diabetic rats
- MeSH:
Animals;
Apoptosis*;
Blood-Retinal Barrier;
Cell Proliferation;
Cell Survival;
Endothelial Cells;
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III;
Pathology;
Pericytes;
Rats;
Rats, Inbred OLETF*;
Retina*;
Retinaldehyde;
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*
- From:Korean Journal of Anatomy
2007;40(4):287-295
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is closely involved in early retinal pathology of diabetes, including blood-retinal barrier breakdown, pericyte loss, neuro-retinal apoptosis, and cell proliferation. This study examines the involvement of VEGF in cell apoptosis and survival in the retina of animals with type 2 diabetes. We used retinas from 28-week-old Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, a model of spontaneous type 2 diabetes, and Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats as controls. In parallel with evidence for pericyte loss, we found cell proliferation, apoptosis, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) (an indicator of endothelial cell proliferation/survival) and VEGF overexpression in the OLETF-retina, compared to control LETO. Furthermore, apoptotic signals were partly co-localized to only VEGF-positive cells in the OLETF-retina, but no apoptotic signals were found in VEGF- and eNOS-double-positive cells. These results suggest that upregulated VEGF is involved in apoptosis and eNOS-dependent cell survival in the retinas of type 2 diabetic rats.
