Protective effects of NF-E2-related factor 2 on retinal cells and blood vessels in diabetic mice

ZHANG Yan  HE Mei-hua*

doi:10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2017.05.001

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Acta Anatomica Sinica ›› 2017, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (5) : 497-503. DOI: 10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2017.05.001

Neurobiology

Protective effects of NF-E2-related factor 2 on retinal cells and blood vessels in diabetic mice

ZHANG Yan HE Mei-hua*

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Abstract

Objective To investigate the protective effects of NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) on the retinal cells and blood vessels in diabetic mice. Methods Sixty 8-week-old male Nrf2^+/+ (wild type) and Nrf2^-/- C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the model group and control group. The mice in the model group were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (STZ, 45mg/kg) for 5 days, and those in the control group were injected with the same volume of citric acid buffer. Fasting blood glucose and body weight were measured every week in both groups after the initial injection. The retina was harvested at the tenth-week. The expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) which was one of the downstream proteins activated by Nrf2 in the retina was detected by Western blotting. Immunofluorescent staining was used to detect the expression of RNA binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS）and choline acetyl transferase (ChAT), which specifically marks the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and amacrine cells (ACs), respectively. Acellular capillaries in the retina were observed by using periodic acid-Schiff and hematoxylin staining. Results At 1 week after STZ- injection, the fasting blood glucose of the model group including wild type and the Nrf2^-/- mice were increased rapidly, accompanied by significantly decreased body weight. The blood glucose levels in the control group were not significantly increased, and the body weight showed a slow growth trend. At 10 weeks after STZ-injection, the number of RGCs and ACs Nrf2^-/-in the retina of diabetic mice were significantly decreased (P<0.05). RGCs and ACs Nrf2^-/-which were demonstrated by RBPMS and ChAT immunofluorescent staining, respectively. Periodic acid-Schiff and hematoxylin staining showed that the number of acellular capillaries were significantly increased in Nrf2-/- mouse retina after STZ injection. Western blotting showed HO-1 expression was increased in wild-type mice after STZ injection. Conclusion Nrf2 has a protective effect on diabetic retinal cells and blood vessels, which may be mediated through the induction of HO-1.

Key words

Diabeties / Retinopathy / NF-E2 related factor 2 / Heme oxygenase-1 / Immunofluorescence / Western blotting / C57BL/6 mouse

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ZHANG Yan HE Mei-hua. Protective effects of NF-E2-related factor 2 on retinal cells and blood vessels in diabetic mice[J]. Acta Anatomica Sinica. 2017, 48(5): 497-503 https://doi.org/10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2017.05.001

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