Evidence-based midwifery care. Evaluation of a pilot action learning programme.
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Education, Nursing, Continuing↗
Biomedical subjects
M Brownlee
Publications and source records attributed to M Brownlee.
Changes in diabetic retinal matrix protein mRNA levels in a common transgenic mouse strain.
Recently, all the structural features of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy have been demonstrated in mice fed 30% galactose for 21-26 months. To determine whether changes in retinal matrix protein mRNA levels occur early in the course of murine diabetes we used a competitive RT-PCR method to quantitate retinal mRNA levels in an inbred mouse strain (FVB) commonly used for transgenic studies. Retinal mRNA was prepared from STZ-diabetic and non-diabetic FVB mice at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks and cDNA encoding basement membrane components was quantitated using MIMIC constructs that compete for the same primer pairs. alpha1 (IV) collagen, the beta1 and gamma1 chains of laminin, fibronectin, and vitronectin mRNAs were quantitated. For alpha1 (IV) collagen, statistically significant diabetes-induced increases were apparent by 8 weeks (3.11 +/- 0.20 vs. 1.29 +/- 0.19 x 10(6) molecules/mg total RNA, p < 0.005). Similarly, diabetes-induced increases were observed by 8 weeks for the beta1 chain of laminin (4.54 +/- 0.22 vs. 1.85 +/- 0.43 x 10(5) molecules/mg total RNA, p < 0.005), the gamma1 chain of laminin (7. 33 +/- 0.29 vs. 4.84 +/- 0.76 x 10(4)/microg total RNA, p < 0.05), and for fibronectin (2.22 +/- 0.21 vs. 1.35 +/- 0.15 x 10(6) molecules/mg total RNA, p < 0.05). The magnitude of change was greatest for alpha1 (IV) collagen (2.4-fold) and beta1 laminin (2. 5-fold) at 8 weeks, and least for fibronectin (1.6-fold). A smaller diabetes-induced increase in vitro nectin mRNA was also observed, but it failed to reach statistical significance at 12 and 16 weeks. These data provide the basis for assessing the effects of genetic manipulation on diabetic retinopathy in transgenic mouse models.
Animals↗
Endothelial function in Marfan syndrome: selective impairment of flow-mediated vasodilation.
BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular complications of Marfan syndrome arise due to alterations in the structural and functional properties of fibrillin, a constituent of vascular connective tissues. Fibrillin-containing microfibrils are closely associated with arterial endothelial cells, indicating a possible functional role for fibrillin in the endothelium. Plasma concentrations of endothelial cell products are elevated in Marfan subjects, which indirectly indicates endothelial dysfunction. This study directly assessed flow- and agonist-mediated endothelium-dependent brachial artery reactivity in Marfan subjects. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 20 Marfan and 20 control subjects, brachial artery diameter, blood flow, and blood pressure were measured by ultrasonic wall tracking, Doppler ultrasound, and photoplethysmography, respectively. Measurements were taken during hand hyperemia (a stimulus for endothelium-derived nitric oxide [NO] release in the upstream brachial artery) and after sublingual administration of the endothelium-independent vasodilator nitroglycerin. In 9 Marfan and 6 control subjects, the above parameters were also assessed during intra-arterial infusions of acetylcholine and bradykinin (agonists that stimulate NO production) and NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, an inhibitor of NO production). Flow-mediated responses differed markedly between Marfan and control subjects (-1.6+/-3.5% versus 6. 50+/-4.1%, respectively; P<0.0001), whereas nitroglycerin produced similar vasodilation (14.2+/-5.7% versus 15.2+/-7.8%; P=NS). Agonist-induced vasodilation to incremental intra-arterial infusions of acetylcholine and bradykinin were not significantly different between Marfan and control subjects, and intra-arterial L-NMMA produced similar reductions in brachial artery diameter in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate impaired flow-mediated but preserved agonist-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation in Marfan subjects and suggest preservation of basal NO release. Selective loss of flow-mediated dilation suggests a role for fibrillin in endothelial cell mechanotransduction.
Acetylcholine↗
Generation of nonimmune islet cells using genetic engineering.
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Animals↗
Diabetic retinopathy risk correlates with intracellular concentrations of the glycoxidation product Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl) lysine independently of glycohaemoglobin concentrations.
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: We investigated whether either the amount of diabetes-induced intracellular oxidative stress or the concentration of hyperglycaemia-induced advanced glycation endproducts is associated with the risk of diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: We measured concentrations of the glycoxidation product Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine and two non-oxidation-dependent advanced glycation end-products (methylglyoxal-derived and 3-deoxyglucosone-derived) in CD45RA+ T-cells from 21 Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with and without diabetic retinopathy and from age-matched nondiabetic control subjects. RESULTS: Intracellular concentrations of both oxidation-dependent Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine and oxidation-independent advanced glycation endproducts were increased in memory T-cells from diabetic patients. Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine: diabetic median-24176 arbitrary units/mg protein (95% confidence interval 18690-34099 arbitrary units/mg protein); nondiabetic-9088 arbitrary units/mg protein (confidence interval 6994-10696 arbitrary units/mg protein; p < 0.0001). Methylglyoxal-derived advanced glycation end products: diabetic-5430 arbitrary units/ mg protein (confidence interval 3458-13610); nondiabetic-271 arbitrary units/mg protein (confidence interval 61-760 arbitrary units/mg protein; p< 0.0001). 3-Deoxyglucosone-derived advanced glycation end products: diabetic-8070 arbitrary units/mg protein (confidence interval 7049-16551 arbitrary units/mg protein); nondiabetic-1479 arbitrary units/ mg protein (confidence interval 1169-3170; p< 0.0001). Only Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine concentrations, however, inversely correlated with the duration of retinopathy-free diabetes (r = -0.51; p < 0.02). Diabetes-dependent Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine accumulation did not correlate with age, diabetes duration, or averaged glycohaemoglobin concentrations. In vitro experiments wih menadione and lymphocytes confirmed that Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine concentrations reflect intracellular oxidative stress. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Monitoring intracellular concentrations of increased oxidative stress in long-lived CD45RA+ lymphocytes by markers such as Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine possibly identifies a subgroup of patients at high risk for microvascular complications.
Adult↗
Differential accumulation of advanced glycation end products in the course of diabetic retinopathy.
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Glycated proteins, formed by reaction of glucose and protein, react further yielding numerous, mostly undefined advanced glycation end products (AGE). The recently characterized imidazolone-type AGE (AG-1) is non-oxidatively formed involving 3-deoxyglucosone whereas some AGEs, particularly N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), are formed only in the presence of oxygen. METHODS: To study the possible contribution of oxidative and non-oxidative AGE formation in the development of diabetic retinopathy antibodies directed against CML-type and imidazolone-type AGEs were characterized by dot blot analysis and used to localize these well-characterized epitops in the retinas from diabetic rats (early course) and from human Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus with laser-treated proliferative diabetic retinopathy (late course). RESULTS: In non-diabetic rats CML was moderately positive in neuroglial and vascular structures of non-diabetic rat retinas and increased strongly in diabetic retinas. Anti-imidiazolone antibody staining was strongly positive only in diabetic capillaries. Advanced human diabetic retinopathy showed strong CML-immunolabelling of the entire retina whereas control samples showed moderate staining of neuroglial structures only with the polyclonal CML-antibody. Anti-imidiazolone antibody staining was faint in the inner retina of control sections but were strong throughout the entire diabetic retina. Immunolabelling for the AGE-receptor was congruent with a marker of Müller cells. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Our data indicate that the oxidatively formed CML is present in non-diabetic retinas as a regular constituent but increases in diabetes both in neuroglial and vascular components. Imidazolone-type AGE are restricted to microvessels and spread during later stages over the entire retina, co-localizing with the expression of AGE-receptor.
Animals↗
In vivo interleukin-2 gene therapy of established tumors with herpes simplex amplicon vectors.
In vivo cytokine gene transfer may greatly simplify autologous tumor vaccine production. Herpes simplex viral amplicon vectors (HSV) are efficient gene-transfer vehicles and may overcome many limitations of prior gene-transfer methods. The interleukin-2 (IL-2) and beta-galactosidase genes (lac) were inserted into an HSV amplicon vector and tested in a subcutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of lung origin to determine the efficiency of in vivo gene transfer and the utility of such a direct gene transfer approach in cancer therapy. Gene transfer and expression were assessed by histochemical staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Growth of injected tumors as well as non-injected tumors remote from the site of injection was assessed. Assessment of lymphocytic infiltrates into tumors was performed by immunohistochemistry. Survival was recorded. Direct in vivo injection of established tumors with a HSVi12 resulted in efficient gene transfer and production of IL-2 in the injected tumor but not at tumors remote from the sites of injection. There was a significant suppression of growth of the tumors injected with HSVi12 (P<0.01) when compared with tumors injected with HSV without i12. Of note, growth of tumors remote from sites of HSVi12 injection was also retarded and treatment was associated with a significant (P<0.05) improvement in survival. Direct intratumoral administration of HSV amplicon vectors can result in efficient transfer of cytokine genes and have antitumor efficacy. HSV vectors are therefore potentially useful agents in such in vivo gene-therapy strategies and simplify cytokine antitumor gene-therapy strategies.
Animals↗
Oral folate enhances endothelial function in hyperhomocysteinaemic subjects.
BACKGROUND: Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) is a risk factor for vascular disease. A postulated mechanism is vascular endothelial damage by homocysteine. Hcy levels are inversely related to blood concentrations of folate and can be lowered by folate supplements. The effect of oral folic acid on endothelial function was investigated in healthy adults with mild hyperhomocysteinaemia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen healthy subjects (Hcy > 13 micromol L-1 at entry), from a screening population of 890 volunteers, were entered into a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of oral folic acid (5 mg daily for six weeks) with a six week interval between treatments. Flow-mediated (endothelium-dependent) and (endothelial-independent) glyceryl trinitrate (GTN)-mediated brachial artery dilatation were measured by high resolution wall tracking. RESULTS: Folate supplementation enhanced endothelium-dependent responses (+0.08 +/- 0.05 vs. +0.04 +/- 0.04 mm, P = 0.015) but endothelium-independent responses (GTN) were unchanged. Folate reduced Hcy (8.7 +/- 2.5 vs. 12.1 +/- 3.6 micromol L-1). CONCLUSION: High dose folic acid supplementation enhances endothelium-dependent vascular function and lowers plasma Hcy. This provides preliminary evidence that folate may have beneficial cardiovascular effects in adults with mild hyperhomocysteinaemia.
Administration, Oral↗
A vascular basis for repetitive strain injury.
OBJECTIVE: The blanket term 'repetitive strain injury' (RSI) covers a wide variety of work-related clinical syndromes, most of which are localized lesions. However, some patients complain of diffuse forearm pain, a clinically distinct form of RSI, the aetiology of which is unknown. METHODS: Using Doppler ultrasound, we measured the vascular responses to muscular work in the radial artery in 13 patients with bilateral diffuse forearm pain, seven with unilateral diffuse pain and 19 controls with localized arm pain. RESULTS: We found that in diffuse forearm pain the radial artery is relatively constricted compared to the controls and fails to vasodilate with exercise, which suggests that diffuse forearm pain may be due to physiological claudication of the working forearm muscle. CONCLUSION: A possible explanation is inhibition of local endothelial nitric oxide function, and this may be an unusual secondary, but self-perpetuating, pain condition which can follow other more specific, but chronic, arm pain syndromes in susceptible individuals.
Adolescent↗
Transfection of human pancreatic islets with an anti-apoptotic gene (bcl-2) protects beta-cells from cytokine-induced destruction.
Apoptosis has been identified as a mechanism of pancreatic islet beta-cell death in autoimmune diabetes. Proinflammatory cytokines are candidate mediators of beta-cell death in autoimmune diabetes, and these cytokines can induce beta-cell death by apoptosis. In the present study, we examined whether transfection of human islet beta-cells with an anti-apoptotic gene, bcl-2, can prevent cytokine-induced beta-cell destruction. Human islet beta-cells were transfected by a replication-defective herpes simplex virus (HSV) amplicon vector that expressed the bcl-2 gene (HSVbcl-2) and, as a control, the same HSV vector that expressed a beta-galactosidase reporter gene (HSVlac). Two-color immunohistochemical staining revealed that 95+/-3% of beta-cells transfected with HSVbcl-2 expressed Bcl-2 protein compared with 14+/-3% of beta-cells transfected with HSVlac and 19+/-4% of nontransfected beta-cells. The bcl-2-transfected beta-cells were fully protected from impaired insulin secretion and destruction resulting from incubation for 5 days with the cytokine combination of interleukin (IL)-1beta, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interferon (IFN)-gamma. In addition, the bcl-2-transfected islet cells were significantly protected from cytokine-induced lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation. These results demonstrate that cytokine-induced beta-cell dysfunction and death involve mechanisms subject to regulation by an anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2. Therefore, bcl-2 gene therapy has the potential to protect human beta-cells in pancreatic islets, or islet grafts, from immune-mediated damage in type 1 diabetes.
Apoptosis↗
Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-mediated ICAM-1 gene transfer abrogates tumorigenicity and induces anti-tumor immunity.
BACKGROUND: Costimulatory and cellular adhesion molecules are thought to be essential components of antigen presentation in the immune response to cancer. The current studies examine gene transfer utilizing herpes viral amplicon vectors (HSV) to direct surface expression of adhesion molecules, and specifically evaluate the potential of a tumor-expressing intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) to elicit an anti-tumor response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The human ICAM-1 (hICAM1) gene was inserted into an HSV amplicon vector and tested in a transplantable rat hepatocellular carcinoma and in a human colorectal cancer cell line. Cell surface ICAM-1 expression was assessed by flow cytometry. Lymphocyte binding to HSV-hICAM1-transduced cells was compared with that to cells transduced with HSV not carrying the ICAM gene. Tumorigenicity of HSV-hICAM1-transduced tumor cells were tested in syngeneic Buffalo rats. Additionally, immunization with irradiated (10,000 rads) HSV-hICAM1-transduced tumor cells was performed to determine its effect on tumor growth. RESULTS: A 20-min exposure of tumor cells at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 1 resulted in high-level cell surface expression of human ICAM in approximately 25% of tumor cells. Transduced rat or human tumor cells exhibited significantly enhanced binding of lymphocytes (p < 0.05). HSV-hICAM1-transduced cells elicited an increase in infiltration by CD4(+) lymphocytes in vivo and exhibited decreased tumorigenicity. Immunization with irradiated HSV-hICAM1-transduced cells protected against growth of subsequent injected parental tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS: HSV amplicon-mediated gene transfer is an efficient method for modifying the cell surface expression of adhesion molecules. Increased tumor expression of ICAM-1 represents a promising immune anti-cancer strategy.
Animals↗
[Biochemical bases of aging: does glucose play a role?].
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Aging↗
Hyperhomocysteinemia after an oral methionine load acutely impairs endothelial function in healthy adults.
BACKGROUND: Elevated plasma homocysteine is a risk factor for arteriosclerosis, but a cause-and-effect relationship remains to be fully established. Endothelial dysfunction, an early event in the atherogenic process, has been shown to be associated with hyperhomocysteinemia in experimental and human studies. To further establish a direct relationship between changes in plasma homocysteine and endothelial dysfunction, we investigated whether moderate hyperhomocysteinemia induced by an oral methionine load would acutely impair flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in healthy adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-four healthy volunteers completed a randomized crossover study in which an oral methionine load (0.1 g/kg) was administered on 1 of 2 study days, 7 days apart. At each visit, plasma homocysteine and brachial artery endothelium-dependent and -independent dilatation were measured at baseline and at 4 hours. To further elucidate the temporal relationship between methionine, homocysteine, and endothelial function, an oral methionine load was administered in 10 subjects on a separate visit, and the time courses of plasma methionine, homocysteine, and flow-mediated brachial artery dilatation were measured at baseline and after 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 hours. After oral methionine, plasma homocysteine increased from 7. 9+/-2.0 micromol/L at baseline to 23.1+/-5.4 micromol/L at 4 hours (P<0.0001, n=24) and was associated with a decrease in flow-mediated brachial artery dilatation from 0.12+/-0.09 to 0.06+/-0.09 mm (P<0. 05). The time course of the impairment of flow-mediated vasodilatation mirrored the time course of the increase in homocysteine concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Oral methionine loading raises plasma homocysteine and impairs flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilatation. This supports the view that homocysteine may promote vascular disease by inducing endothelial dysfunction.
Administration, Oral↗
Overexpression of glyoxalase-I in bovine endothelial cells inhibits intracellular advanced glycation endproduct formation and prevents hyperglycemia-induced increases in macromolecular endocytosis.
Methylglyoxal (MG), a dicarbonyl compound produced by the fragmentation of triose phosphates, forms advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) in vitro. Glyoxalase-I catalyzes the conversion of MG to S-D-lactoylglutathione, which in turn is converted to D-lactate by glyoxalase-II. To evaluate directly the effect of glyoxalase-I activity on intracellular AGE formation, GM7373 endothelial cells that stably express human glyoxalase-I were generated. Glyoxalase-I activity in these cells was increased 28-fold compared to neo-transfected control cells (21.80+/-0.1 vs. 0. 76+/-0.02 micromol/min/mg protein, n = 3, P < 0.001). In neo-transfected cells, 30 mM glucose incubation increased MG and D-lactate concentration approximately twofold above 5 MM (35.5+/-5.8 vs. 19.6+/-1.6, P < 0.02, n = 3, and 21.0+/-1.3 vs. 10.0+/-1.2 pmol/ 10(6) cells, n = 3, P < 0.001, respectively). In contrast, in glyoxalase-I-transfected cells, 30 mM glucose incubation did not increase MG concentration at all, while increasing the enzymatic product D-lactate by > 10-fold (18.9+/-3.2 vs. 18.4+/- 5.8, n = 3, P = NS, and 107.1+/-9.0 vs. 9.4+/-0 pmol/10(6) cells, n = 3, P < 0.001, respectively). After exposure to 30 mM glucose, intracellular AGE formation in neo cells was increased 13.6-fold (2.58+/-0.15 vs. 0.19+/-0.03 total absorbance units, n = 3, P < 0.001). Concomitant with increased intracellular AGEs, macromolecular endocytosis by these cells was increased 2.2-fold. Overexpression of glyoxalase-I completely prevented both hyperglycemia-induced AGE formation and increased macromolecular endocytosis.
Acetone↗
The relationship of glycaemic level to advanced glycation end-product (AGE) accumulation and retinal pathology in the spontaneous diabetic hamster.
To assess the relationship between glucose and advanced glycation end products (AGE) and the relationship between AGE and retinal changes in vivo, we studied the time course of retinopathy over 12 months in trypsin digest preparations and measured glycaemia and retinal AGE in spontaneous diabetic hamsters of mild (MD) and severe (SD) phenotypes. Blood glucose levels were elevated in MD (9.44+/-0.76 mmol/l) and in SD (3 months: 24.3+/-1.4 mmol/l; 12 months: 31.7+/-0.8 mmol/l) over non-diabetic controls (NC: 7.15+/-0.25 mmol/l; p < 0.05 or less vs MD; p < 0.001 vs SD). Similar relations were found for HbA1. Retinal AGE in mild diabetes was 405+/-11.3 arbitrary units (AU) (NC 245+/-7.7; p < 0.01) after 3 months and remained unchanged. A non-linear increase of AGE over time was found in severe hyperglycaemic hamsters (466+/-21 AU after 3 months and 758+/-21 AU after 12 months; p < 0.001 vs MD). Pericyte loss in mild diabetes progressed from -26% after 3 months to 41% after 12 months (p < 0.001 vs NC). Whereas the initial pericyte loss in severely diabetic hamsters was identical to the mildly diabetic group, a higher degree of pericyte loss occurred after 12 months (-57%; p < 0.05 vs MD). Endothelial cell numbers remained unaffected by mild hyperglycaemia, but significantly increased over time in severe diabetes reaching 31.7% above controls after 12 months (p < 0.001 vs NC and MD). Microaneurysms were absent in all retinae examined. Acellular capillary segments were increased in mild diabetes (3.83+/-0.31 per mm2 of retinal area) and severe diabetes (7.83+/-0.73) over controls (1.0+/-0.23). These data suggest that a threshold of glycaemia might exist above which AGE removal systems become saturated. Pericyte loss and acellular capillary formation are associated with mild increases in blood glucose and AGE levels while endothelial cell proliferation requires higher glucose and AGE levels.
Animals↗
Transduction of non-dividing adult human pancreatic beta cells by an integrating lentiviral vector.
Pancreatic islet cells are terminally differentiated endocrine cells and are refractory to stable infection by retroviral vectors, which require the breakdown of the nuclear membrane during cell division in order to insert the transgene into the host cell genome. Thus, attempts to render beta-cell allografts less immunogenic have had to rely on stable transfection of surrogate cells. Similarly, this problem has precluded the development of conditionally immortalized human beta cells for clinical allotransplantation. In this report, we demonstrate that adult human islet beta cells can be transduced by a new three-plasmid integrating lentiviral vector with an efficiency of 62 +/- 1.8 % at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 2.5 in vitro. This work makes genetic engineering of adult human pancreatic beta cells possible for the first time, allowing strategies to render beta-cell allografts non-immunogenic to be optimized and to creating conditionally immortalized human beta cells for clinical transplantation.
Cell Division↗
Endothelial function is impaired in fit young adults of low birth weight.
OBJECTIVE: Non-insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension and ischaemic heart disease, with insulin resistance, are associated with low birth weight (the 'Small Baby Syndrome'). Common to these adult clinical conditions is endothelial dysfunction. We tested the hypothesis that endothelial dysfunction could precede their development in those of low birth weight. METHODS: Endothelial function was measured by ultrasonic 'wall-tracking' of flow-related brachial artery dilatation in fit 19-20 year old subjects randomly selected (blind to the investigators throughout the study) from low (< 2.5 kg) and normal (3.0-3.8 kg) birth weight subjects in the 1975-7 cohort of the Cardiff Births Survey and with no known cause for endothelial dysfunction. RESULTS: Flow-related dilatation was impaired in low birth weight relative to normal birth weight subjects (median 0.04 mm [1.5%] [n = 22] cf. 0.11 mm [4.1%] [n = 17], p < 0.05; 0.04 mm [1.5%] [n = 15] cf. 0.12 mm [4.4%] [n = 12], p < 0.05 after exclusion of inadvertently included ever-smokers). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that endothelial dysfunction is a consequence of foetal malnutrition, consistent with contributing to the clinical features of the 'Small Baby Syndrome' in later adult life.
Adult↗
Upregulation of the vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor system in experimental background diabetic retinopathy of the rat.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major contributor to retinal neovascularization. The possible participation of VEGF and its high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptors, flk-1 and flt-1, in early background diabetic retinopathy was studied in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model of experimental retinopathy using in situ hybridization, blotting techniques, and immunohistochemistry. Diabetic retinopathy was assessed by quantitative morphometry of retinal digest preparations. The number of acellular capillaries increased 2.7-fold in diabetic animals with diabetes' duration of 6 months compared with nondiabetic controls. VEGF expression was not detectable by in situ hybridization in nondiabetic rats but was highly increased in the ganglion cell layer and in the inner and outer nuclear layers of retinas from diabetic animals. VEGF protein was extractable only from diabetic retinas, and a strong immunolabeling was detected in vascular and perivascular structures. Increased flk-1 and flt-1 mRNA levels were also found in the ganglion cell and both nuclear layers of diabetic samples only. Dot blot and Western blot analyses confirmed the increase in flk-1 mRNA and protein in diabetic retinas. Also, flk-1 immunoreactivity was associated with vascular and nonvascular structures of the inner retinas from diabetic animals. These data obtained from a rodent model in which retinal neovascularization does not occur support the concept that the VEGF/VEGF receptor system is upregulated in early diabetic retinopathy.
Animals↗