Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides Improve Retinopathy in Diabetic Sprague-Dawley Rats.

P Andy Li,Qian Zhang,Xiaohong Lu,Mingxiu Luo,Yi Yang,Qing Yao,Yan Pan

doi:10.1155/2018/7943212

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) has become the most frequent cause of impaired visual acuity and blindness in working-age population in developed countries. Here we use diabetic rats to clarify the role of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on DR. We treated diabetic rats with LBP (400 mg/kg/d or 200 mg/kg/d) orally for 20 weeks. Electroretinogram (ERGs) and Laser Doppler blood flow were measured to assess the retinal function, routine histology and ultrastructural studies were performed to evaluate the morphological alterations, and immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and RT-PCR were conducted to detect the protein and mRNA levels of pro- and antiangiogenic factors. The results showed that diabetes suppressed the amplitudes of a-wave, b-wave, and oscillatory potential in ERG, reduced retinal blood flow, decreased the thickness of the retina, and increased the thickness of basement membrane of the retinal capillary. Furthermore, diabetes increased the mRNA and protein expressions of proangiogenic GFAP and VEGF and suppressed the levels of antiangiogenic PEDG. Treatment with LBP either completely or partially reversed the alterations caused by diabetes. It is concluded that the LBP protects retinal function and morphology in diabetic rats, probably through reinstallation of the balance between proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors, which reduces neovascularization. LBP could be used as a therapeutic drug for DR.

Highlights

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus (DM)
The body weights of the diabetic rats slightly decreased at 5 weeks and maintained stable from 5 to 20 weeks, which weighted significantly less than the control animals (P
A lot of important information or clues on the development of DR have obtained from human studies, the mechanisms of DR development still elusive

Summary

Introduction

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). It has become the most frequent cause of impaired visual acuity and blindness in working-age people in developed countries [1, 2]. It has been considered to be a microcirculatory disorder of the retina, characterized by retinal vascular leakage, inflammation, and abnormal neovascularization [5, 6]. Visual loss from DR can be reduced by partial and pan-retinal photocoagulation, laser therapy, and vitrectomy. These treatment procedures do not seem to significantly improve vision. It is necessary to find new compounds that could either prevent or improve DR

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