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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
An Assay to Detect Protection of the Retinal Vasculature from Diabetes-Related Death in Mice
Published on: January 12, 2024
Experimental effect of retinoic acids on apoptosis during the development of diabetic retinopathy
Nami Nishikiori1, Makoto Osanai, Hideki Chiba
1Departments of Ophthalmology and Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Japan. nami731978@sapmed.ac.jp
Purpose:
This study was conducted to investigate whether retinoic acids (RAs) had any effect on apoptosis during the development of diabetic retinopathy.
Methods:
To investigate whether RAs had any effect on apoptosis during the development of diabetic retinopathy, we housed 32 C57BL/6 male mice and induced diabetes in 24 by intra peritoneal injections of streptozotocin (STZ; Sigma, St Louis, MO) and treated 16 of the diabetic mice with the RAs, all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) (seven mice) and 4-[(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)carboxamido] benzoic acid (Am580) (nine mice). The other eight mice were used as diabetic controls. We then measured apoptosis in the retina by TdT-dUTP terminal nick-end labeling assay.
Results:
RAs inhibited the apoptosis of retinal cells in diabetic retinopathy. Many apoptotic cells were observed in retinas of the eight diabetic control mice (mean value and SD: 37.8 +/- 6.9), whereas when diabetic mice were treated with RAs, the number of apoptotic cells significantly decreased (mean value and SD: 9.9 +/- 6.4 for the seven ATRA-treated diabetic mice and 9.8 +/- 5.9 for the nine Am580-treated diabetic mice) (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Treatment with RAs decreases apoptosis during the development of diabetic retinopathy.
Insights
Retinoic acids (RAs) significantly reduce retinal cell apoptosis in diabetic retinopathy. This finding suggests RAs may offer a therapeutic benefit for this condition.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Endocrinology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of vision loss, characterized by retinal cell apoptosis.
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic retinopathy progression is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Observation:
- Retinoic acids (RAs) were investigated for their effect on apoptosis in a mouse model of diabetic retinopathy.
- Diabetes was induced using streptozotocin, and mice were treated with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) or Am580.
Findings:
- Retinal cell apoptosis was significantly inhibited in diabetic mice treated with RAs compared to diabetic controls.
- RA treatment markedly reduced the mean number of apoptotic cells in the retina.
Implications:
- Retinoic acids demonstrate a protective effect against retinal cell death in diabetic retinopathy.
- These findings suggest that RAs could be a potential therapeutic agent for managing diabetic retinopathy.
