Abstract
Purpose To investigated the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on diabetic retinopathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (80 mg/kg) in male Wistar rats. Ginsenoside Rb1 (20, 40 mg/kg) was injected (i.p.) once a day for 4 weeks. Then, using fundus photography, the diameter and vascular permeability of retinal vessels were investigated. Retinal histopathology was undertaken. Contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) in retinas were assayed. Levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), glutathione cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), and glutathione cysteine ligase modulatory subunit (GCLM) were measured. Results Treatment with ginsenoside Rb1 attenuated the diabetes-induced increase in the diameter of retinal blood vessels. Ginsenoside Rb1 reduced extravasation of Evans Blue dye from retinal blood vessels. Ginsenoside Rb1 partially inhibited the increase in MDA content and decrease in GSH level in rat retinas. Nrf2 levels in the nuclei of retinal cells and expression of GCLC and GCLM were increased significantly in rats treated with ginsenoside Rb1. Conclusion These findings suggest that ginsenoside Rb1 can attenuate diabetic retinopathy by regulating the antioxidative function in rat retinas.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that affects more than 170 million people worldwide
Compared with the diabetes group, the diameter of the retinal vessels of rats treated with ginsenoside Rb1 (20, 40 mg/kg) was reduced (P < 0.05, P < 0.01; Fig. 2)
We observed that treatment with ginsenoside Rb1 resulted in an increase in nuclear translocation of Nrf[2] in the retinas of STZ-induced diabetic rats
Summary
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that affects more than 170 million people worldwide. Despite a new generation of medications and advances in clinical treatments, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus has risen dramatically in recent decades. It has been demonstrated that over one-third of patients with diabetes mellitus have signs of DR, and the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus suggests that many more people will suffer from DR in the future[1]. DR is characterized by progressive damage to the retinal microvasculature. It can be classified into two types: non-proliferative and proliferative[2]. In non-proliferative DR, the intra-retinal microvasculature is associated with diabetic macular edema[3]. DR is characterized by increased vascular permeability, which leads to fluid accumulation and retinal hemorrhage in the macula[5]
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