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Adrenomedullin in the eye.
Reiko Udono-Fujimori1, Tetsuo Udono, Kazuhito Totsune
1Department of Molecular Biology and Applied Physiology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai 980-8575, Aoba, Japan.
Regulatory Peptides
|April 2, 2003
Summary
Adrenomedullin (AM) is elevated in eye diseases like proliferative vitreoretinopathy and tumors. It stimulates retinal pigment epithelial cell growth, suggesting a role in inflammatory and neoplastic eye conditions.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Adrenomedullin (AM) is a peptide with diverse regulatory functions.
- Elevated AM levels are observed in ocular conditions such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy and intraocular tumors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Adrenomedullin in the pathophysiology of various eye diseases.
- To explore the regulation and function of AM in retinal pigment epithelial cells.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of AM-immunoreactivity in vitreous fluid.
- Measurement of AM mRNA expression in ocular tumor tissues.
- Culture of human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19, D407) to study AM expression and function under different conditions (cytokines, hypoxia, dexamethasone).
Main Results:
- High concentrations of Adrenomedullin-immunoreactivity were found in vitreous fluid, elevated in proliferative vitreoretinopathy.
- Increased Adrenomedullin mRNA expression was detected in intraocular and orbital tumors.
- Adrenomedullin stimulated retinal pigment epithelial cell proliferation under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions.
- Dexamethasone enhanced Adrenomedullin expression in cultured RPE cells, but not cytokine-induced expression.
Conclusions:
- Adrenomedullin acts as an autocrine or paracrine growth stimulator involved in the pathophysiology of inflammatory and neoplastic eye diseases.
- Glucocorticoid-induced Adrenomedullin expression may contribute to the pathogenesis of specific eye conditions like central serous chorioretinopathy.