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Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Quantification of Vascular Parameters in Whole Mount Retinas of Mice with Non-Proliferative and Proliferative Retinopathies
Published on: March 12, 2022
[Expression of VEGF and PEDF in early-stage retinopathy in diabetic Macaca mulatta]
Jing-Fei Chen1, Qi-Hui Luo, Chao Huang
1Laboratory of Animal Disease Model, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.E-mail: 1490017005@qq.com.
Objective:
To explore the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) in early stage of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Macaca mulatta.
Methods:
Three diabetic Macaca mulattas induced by high-fat diet were identified for early stage of diabetic retinopathy according to the fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin Alc (HbA1c), fundus photograph and duration of diabetes, with another 3 age-matched healthy Macaca mulattas as control. The expression of VEGF and PEDF in the retinas of Macaca mulatta were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry.
Result:
In early stage of diabetic retinopathy, VEGF mRNA and protein of the diabetic group were both significantly increased compared with the control group (P<0.05). PEDF expression at both mRNA and protein levels was significantly decreased in diabetic Macaca mulattas compared with the control group (P<0.01 and 0.05 respectively).
Conclusion:
Retinal VEGF expression is increased and PEDF expression is decreased in early stage of diabetic retinopathy, suggesting their involvement in the occurrence of diabetic retinopathy and their value in assisting in the early diagnosis.

