The Relationship between Expression of Nuclear Factor I and the Progressive Occurrence of Diabetic Retinopathy

The loss of nuclear factor I (NFI) function can lead to defects in Muller's glial differentiation, abnormalities of retinal morphology, and changes in retinal neurons numbers, which are highly involved in diabetic retinopathy (DR). In this study, we addressed the roles of NFIA and NFIB gene expression in the development of DR by using diabetes mellitus (DM) rat models. Retinal histologies were examined, and the expression of NFIA and NFIB at mRNA and protein levels was detected. The results showed that retinal edema and disordered cell arrangement frequently occurred in DR rats. The expressions of NFIA and NFIB in retinal tissue were significantly decreased in DM rats with DR complications. After further inhibiting the expression of NFIA gene in DM rats by using RNA-silencing, majority of DM rats occurred retinopathy and lens fibrosis, which indicated the relationship between decreased expression of NFI and occurrence of retinopathy in DM.