Background Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the common complications of diabetes.Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells,as important constituent cells of the retina,play important roles in the development and progression of DR.Objective This study was to investigate the suppressive effects of autophagy inhibitor 3-MA on the proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelium cells (hRPECs) following high glucose culture.Methods HRPECs were divided into control group,high-glucose group and 3-MA+high glucose group.The cells were cultured by the DMEM/F12 with 5 mmol/L glucose in the control group,and by the DMEM/F12 with 5 mmol/L glucose in the high glucose group and by the DMEM/F12 with 10 mmol/L 3-MA (for 1 hour firstly) and 30 mmol/L glucose in the 3-MA+high glucose group.The cells were inoculated into 24-well plate with the content of 1 ×105/well,and then the cells were consecutively cultured for 24 hours with DMEM/F12 containing 0.5％ fetal bovine serum after achieved attached 80％ confluence.The morphology and uhrastructure of the cells were examined by optics microscope and transmission electronic microscope.The proliferative rate of the cells was assayed by CCK-8 kit.The expression of autophagy-related gene microtubule associated protein light chain 3B (LC3B) in the cells was detected by Western blot and LC3B-Ⅱ/LC3B-Ⅰ value was quantitatively evaluated among the groups.Results The cells grew well with uniform size and regulatory arrangement in the control group.The cells in the high glucose group enlarged and the number of cells evidently increased.In the 3-MA+high glucose group,the cells decreased with a disorder arrangement.Under the transmission electron microscope,the cells were normal with the round-or oval-like nucleus and normal organelles in the control group,and autolysosome could be seen in the cells in the high glucose group.In the 3-MA+high glucose group,some autophagic bodies were found.The proliferative rate of the cells was (100.0±2.0) ％,(116.9-±5.2)％ and (103.7 ±4.7)％ in the control group,high glucose group and 3-MA+high glucose group respectively,showing a significant difference among the groups (F =13.526,P =0.006).The proliferative rate was considerably raised in the high glucose group compared with the control group and 3-MA+high glucose group (both at P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference in the proliferative rate of the cells between the control group and 3-MA+high glucose group (P＞0.05).Compared with the control group,the expressing intensity of LC3B-Ⅰ protein was weakened and that of LC3-Ⅱ protein was enhanced,and the expression intensity of LC3B-Ⅰ and LC3B-Ⅱ proteins in the 3-MA+high glucose group was similar to that in the control group.The LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio was 0.131 ±0.065,2.504±0.097 and 0.274±0.007 in the control group,high glucose group and 3-MA+high glucose group,respectively,with significant differences among the groups (F =1 694.676,P =0.000),and the LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio was increased in the high glucose group in comparison with the control group and the 3-MA+high glucose group (all at P＜0.05).No significant difference was found in the LC3B-Ⅱ/LC3B-Ⅰ ratio between the control group and 3-MA + high glucose group (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions High glucose culture of hRPECs can activate autophagy process and promote cell proliferation.3-MA,an autophagy inhibitor,suppresses the high glucoseinduced growth of HRPECs by inhibiting autophagy process.

Objective To examine the expression of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) in a rat model of retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury (RIRI),and investigate the protective effect of 17β-Estradiol (E2) on RIRI and explore the mechanism.Methods The RIRI model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats by increasing the intraocular pressure.Relative expression levels of SDF-1 mRNA and protein in the retina at 6 hours,12 hours and 24 hours following reperfusion was determined by RT-PCR and Western blot,respectively.E2 was administered to investigate the effects of estrogen on SDF-1 expression,and the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182-780 was administered to investigate the effect of estrogen receptor on the expression of SDF-1.Results SDF-1 expression in RIRI 6 hours group,12 hours group and 24 hours group was increased compared with normal control group (all P ＜ 0.05),with maximum expression at RIRI 12 hours group.As expected,pretreatment of RIRI rats with E2 had a protection on RIRI retina;SDF-1 expression was increased in RIRI + E2 group compared with IR control group and RIRI + vehicle group (all P ＜ 0.05).RIRI + E2 + ICI 182-780 group could decrease SDF-1 expression compared with RIRI + E2 group(all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion E2 offers protection against RIRI by inducing an up-regulation in SDF-1 expression through activation of the estrogen receptor.