No abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-apoptosis effects of resveratrol (RSV) on diabetic rats retinal Müller cells in vivo and in vitro and to further investigate the roles of microRNA-29b (miR-29b)/specificity protein 1 (SP1) in the anti-apoptosis mechanism of RSV. Retina was obtained from normal and diabetic rats with or without RSV (5 and 10 mg/kg/day) treatments at 1-7 months. TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) and Annexin V/PI staining were used to detect apoptosis. Immunofluorescence was used to assess distribution of SP1 in retina. MiR-29b and SP1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). SP1, Bax, and bcl-2 protein expression was evaluated by western blotting. Caspase-3 activity was detected by assay kit. Our study showed that the TUNEL-positive cells were mainly localized in the inner nuclear layer (INL) of retina and RSV administration effectively suppressed streptozotocin (STZ)-induced apoptosis of retinal cells in INL in vivo (P < 0.001). Our study also showed that RSV administration effectively suppressed high glucose (HG)-induced retinal Müller cells' apoptosis in vitro (P < 0.001). Furthermore, our study revealed that the diabetes-induced downregulated expression of miR-29b and upregulated expression of SP1 could be rescued by RSV in vivo and in vitro (P < 0.05). The anti-apoptosis effect and downregulated SP1 expression effect of RSV was prevented by miR-29b inhibitor (P < 0.05). MiR-29b mimic increased the above-mentioned effects of RSV (P < 0.001). These findings indicate that RSV is a potential therapeutic option for diabetic retinopathy (DR) and that miR-29b/SP1 pathway play roles in the anti-apoptosis mechanism of RSV.

This study investigated the effects of resveratrol (RSV) on retinal functions, glutamate transporters (GLAST) and glutamine synthetase (GS) expression in diabetic rats retina, and on glutamate uptake, GS activity, GLAST and GS expression in high glucose-cultured Müller cells. The electroretinogram was used to evaluate retinal functions. Müller cells cultures were prepared from 5- to 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats. The expression of GLAST and GS was examined by qRT-PCR, ELISA and western-blotting. Glutamate uptake was measured as (3)H-glutamate contents of the lysates. GS activity was assessed by a spectrophotometric assay. 1- to 7-month RSV administrations (5 and 10 mg/kg/day) significantly alleviated hyperglycemia and weight loss in diabetic rats. RSV administrations also significantly attenuated diabetes-induced decreases in amplitude of a-wave in rod response, decreases in amplitude of a-, and b-wave in cone and rod response and decreases in amplitude of OP2 in oscillatory potentials. 1- to 7-month RSV treatments also significantly inhibited diabetes-induced delay in OP2 implicit times in scotopic 3.0 OPS test. The down-regulated mRNA and protein expression of GLAST and GS in diabetic rats retina was prevented by RSV administrations. In high glucose-treated cultures, Müller cells' glutamate uptake, GS activity, GLAST and GS expression were decreased significantly compared with normal control cultures. RSV (10, 20, and 30 mmol/l) significantly inhibited the HG-induced decreases in glutamate uptake, GS activity, GLAST and GS expression (at least P < 0.05). These beneficial results suggest that RSV may be considered as a therapeutic option to prevent from diabetic retinopathy.

The preventive effect of dietary taurine supplementation on glial alterations in retina of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats was examined in this study. Blood glucose content, content of taurine, glutamate and -amino butyric acid (GABA) and expression of glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), glutamate transporter (GLAST), glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) in retina were determined in diabetic rats fed without or with 5% taurine in a controlled trial lasting 12 weeks, with normal rats fed without or with 5% taurine served as controls. Dietary taurine supplementation could not lower glucose concentration in blood (P > 0.05), but caused an elevation of taurine content and a decline in levels of glutamate and GABA in retina of diabetic rats (P < 0.05). The content of GABA in normal control group was not altered by taurine supplementation. With supplementation of taurine in diet, lower expression of GFAP and VEGF while higher expression of GLAST, GS and GAD in retina of diabetic rats were determinated by RT-PCR, Western-blotting and immunofluorescence (P < 0.05). GFAP, VEGF, GLAST, GS and GAD expressions in normal controls were not altered by taurine treatment. This may have prospective implications of using taurine to treat complications in diabetic retinopathy.