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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

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Published on: February 3, 2017
High glucose: activating autophagy and affecting the biological behavior of human lens epithelial cells
Dan Li1, Gao-Qin Liu1, Pei-Rong Lu1
1Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu Province, China.
Aim:
To clarify the effect of autophagy on human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) under high glucose conditions.
Methods:
HLECs were cultured with different concentrations of glucose and 3-methyladenine (3-MA); the expression of autophagy-related protein LC3B was detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence histochemistry. The migration of HLECs was quantified by scratch wound assay and the expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Results:
Compared with 5 mmol/L normal glucose treatment, 40 mmol/L glucose treatment can significantly increase the generation of autophagosome in HLECs, which could be inhibited by 0.375 mmol/L 3-MA treatment. The migration of HLECs and the expression of TGF-β in HLECs induced by high glucose were significantly suppressed by 0.375 mmol/L 3-MA treatment.
Conclusion:
Autophagy promotes HLECs cell migration and increases the expression of TGF-β after exposed to high glucose, which may relate to the development of diabetic cataract.
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