Journal article
Association of reduced Connexin 43 expression with retinal vascular lesions in human diabetic retinopathy
Experimental Eye Research, Vol.146, pp.103-106
2016
DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2015.12.011
PMID: 26738943
Abstract
Connexin 43 (Cx43) downregulation promotes apoptosis in retinal vascular cells of diabetic animal models; however, its relevance to human diabetic retinopathy has not been established. In this study, we investigated whether diabetes alters Cx43 expression and promotes retinal vascular lesions in human retinas. Diabetic human eyes (aged 64–94 years) and non-diabetic human eyes (aged 61–90 years) were analyzed in this study. Retinal protein samples and retinal capillary networks were assessed for Cx43 level by Western blot (WB) analysis and immunostaining. In parallel, retinal capillary networks were stained with hematoxylin and periodic acid Schiff to determine the extent of pericyte loss (PL) and acellular capillaries (AC) in these retinas. Cx43 protein expression was significantly reduced in the diabetic retinas compared to non-diabetic retinas as indicated by WB analysis (81 ± 11% of control). Additionally, a significant decrease in the number of Cx43 plaques per unit length of vessel was observed in the diabetic retinas compared to those of non-diabetic retinas (62 ± 10% of control; p < 0.005). Importantly, a strong inverse relationship was noted between Cx43 expression and the relative number of AC (r = −0.89; p < 0.0005), and between Cx43 expression and number of pericyte loss (r = −0.88; p < 0.0005). Overall, these results show that Cx43 expression is reduced in the human diabetic retinas and Cx43 reduction is associated with increased vascular cell death. These findings suggest that diabetes decreases retinal Cx43 expression and that the development of PL and AC is associated with reduced Cx43 expression in human diabetic retinopathy.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Association of reduced Connexin 43 expression with retinal vascular lesions in human diabetic retinopathy
- Creators
- Thomas TienTetsuya MutoJoyce Zhang - University of Iowa, PathologyElliott H Sohn - University of Iowa, Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesRobert F Mullins - University of Iowa, Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesSayon Roy
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Experimental Eye Research, Vol.146, pp.103-106
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.exer.2015.12.011
- PMID
- 26738943
- ISSN
- 0014-4835
- eISSN
- 1096-0007
- Grant note
- name: NEI, award: NIH EY018218; name: Massachusetts Lions Organization (SR); name: Boston University (TT); name: Boston University School of Medicine (TT)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2016
- Academic Unit
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9983735793902771
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