Connexin 43 (Cx43) Regulates High-glucose-induced Retinal Endothelial Cell Angiogenesis and Retinal Neovascularization

Overview

Journal Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)

Specialty Endocrinology

Date 2022 Sep 19

PMID 36120455

Authors

Wen Shi

Zhishang Meng

Jing Luo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an important microvascular complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and a major cause of blindness. Retinal neovascularization plays a critical role in the proliferative DR. In this study, high glucose-induced connexin 43 (Cx43) expression in human retinal endothelial cells (hRECs) in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with hRECs under normal culture conditions, high-glucose (HG)-stimulated hRECs showed promoted tubule formation, increased ROS release, and elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) in the culture medium. HG-induced alterations were further magnified after overexpression, whereas partially eliminated after knockdown. Finally, in the DR mouse model, impaired retinal structure, increased CD31 expression, and elevated mRNA levels of , , , and were observed; knockdown partially reversed these phenomena. Conclusively, knockdown could inhibit hREC angiogenesis, therefore improving DR in the mouse model.

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