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Recent evidence suggests an important role for outer retinal cells in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Here we investigated the effect of the visual cycle inhibitor retinylamine (Ret-NH2) on the development of early DR lesions. Wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice (male, 2 months old when diabetes was induced) were made diabetic with streptozotocin, and some were given Ret-NH2 once per week. Lecithin-retinol acyltransferase (LRAT)-deficient mice and P23H mutant mice were similarly studied. Mice were euthanized after 2 (WT and Lrat(-/-)) and 8 months (WT) of study to assess vascular histopathology, accumulation of albumin, visual function, and biochemical and physiological abnormalities in the retina. Non-retinal effects of Ret-NH2 were examined in leukocytes treated in vivo. Superoxide generation and expression of inflammatory proteins were significantly increased in retinas of mice diabetic for 2 or 8 months, and the number of degenerate retinal capillaries and accumulation of albumin in neural retina were significantly increased in mice diabetic for 8 months compared with nondiabetic controls. Administration of Ret-NH2 once per week inhibited capillary degeneration and accumulation of albumin in the neural retina, significantly reducing diabetes-induced retinal superoxide and expression of inflammatory proteins. Superoxide generation also was suppressed in Lrat(-/-) diabetic mice. Leukocytes isolated from diabetic mice treated with Ret-NH2 caused significantly less cytotoxicity to retinal endothelial cells ex vivo than did leukocytes from control diabetics. Administration of Ret-NH2 once per week significantly inhibited the pathogenesis of lesions characteristic of early DR in diabetic mice. The visual cycle constitutes a novel target for inhibition of DR.

Reactive oxygen species play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. We studied the role of adrenergic and serotonin receptors in the generation of superoxide by retina and 661W retinal cells in high glucose and of the α1-adrenergic receptor (AR) on vascular lesions of the retinopathy in experimentally diabetic C57Bl/6J mice (and controls) after 2 and 8 months. Compared with 5 mM glucose, incubating cells or retinal explants in 30 mM glucose induced superoxide generation. This response was reduced or ablated by pharmacologic inhibition of the α1-AR (a Gq-coupled receptor) or Gs-coupled serotonin (5-HT2, 5-HT4, 5-HT6, and 5-HT7) receptors or by activation of theGi-coupleda2- AR. In elevated glucose, the α1-AR produced superoxide via phospholipase C, inositol triphosphate-induced Ca2+ release, and NADPH oxidase, and pharmacologic inhibition of these reactions prevented the superoxide increase. Generation of retinal superoxide, expression of proinflammatory proteins, and degeneration of retinal capillaries in diabetes all were significantly inhibited with daily doxazosin or apocynin (inhibitors of α1-AR and NADPH oxidase, respectively), but increased vascular permeability was not significantly affected. Adrenergic receptors, and perhaps other GPCRs, represent novel targets for inhibiting the development of important features of diabetic retinopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evidence suggests an important role for outer retinal cells in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Here we investigated the effect of the visual cycle inhibitor retinylamine (Ret-NH2) on the development of early DR lesions. Wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice (male, 2 months old when diabetes was induced) were made diabetic with streptozotocin, and some were given Ret-NH2 once per week. Lecithin-retinol acyltransferase (LRAT)-deficient mice and P23H mutant mice were similarly studied. Mice were euthanized after 2 (WT and Lrat-/-) and 8 months (WT) of study to assess vascular histopathology, accumulation of albumin, visual function, and biochemical and physiological abnormalities in the retina. Non-retinal effects of Ret-NH2 were examined in leukocytes treated in vivo. Superoxide generation and expression of inflammatory proteins were significantly increased in retinas of mice diabetic for 2 or 8 months, and the number of degenerate retinal capillaries and accumulation of albumin in neural retina were significantly increased in mice diabetic for 8 months compared with nondiabetic controls. Administration of Ret-NH2 once per week inhibited capillary degeneration and accumulation of albumin in the neural retina, significantly reducing diabetes-induced retinal superoxide and expression of inflammatory proteins. Superoxide generation also was suppressed in Lrat-/- diabetic mice. Leukocytes isolated from diabetic mice treated with Ret-NH2 caused significantly less cytotoxicity to retinal endothelial cells ex vivo than did leukocytes from control diabetics. Administration of Ret-NH2 once per week significantly inhibited the pathogenesis of lesions characteristic of earlyDRin diabetic mice. The visual cycle constitutes a novel target for inhibition of DR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]