Abstract
Diabetes produces several changes in the body triggered by high glycemia. Some of these changes include altered metabolism, structural changes in blood vessels and chronic inflammation. The eye and particularly the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are not spared, and the changes eventually lead to cell loss and visual function impairment. Understanding the mechanisms resulting in RGC damage and loss from diabetic retinopathy is essential to find an effective treatment. This review focuses mainly on the signaling pathways and molecules involved in RGC loss and the potential therapeutic approaches for the prevention of this cell death. Throughout the manuscript it became evident that multiple factors of different kind are responsible for RGC damage. This shows that new therapeutic agents targeting several factors at the same time are needed. Alpha-1 antitrypsin as an anti-inflammatory agent may become a suitable option for the treatment of RGC loss because of its beneficial interaction with several signaling pathways involved in RGC injury and inflammation. In conclusion, alpha-1 antitrypsin may become a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of RGC loss and processes behind diabetic retinopathy.
Highlights
Perception of the environment depends on senses, where vision is one of the most complex due to all cell types involved coordinately to form a visual image
This review focuses mainly on the signaling pathways and molecules involved in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) loss and the potential therapeutic approaches for the prevention of this cell death
Alpha-1 antitrypsin as an anti-inflammatory agent may become a suitable option for the treatment of RGC loss because of its beneficial interaction with several signaling pathways involved in RGC injury and inflammation
Summary
Perception of the environment depends on senses, where vision is one of the most complex due to all cell types involved coordinately to form a visual image. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the last cells involved in light transduction in the retina, they integrate signals encoding specific constituents of an image and transport them to the brain [1,2,3]. They are involved in transmission of additional light-independent information like cell metabolism state, intraocular pressure or temperature of the eye [4]. RGCs are damaged in diabetic retinopathy, producing cell function impairment and their subsequent loss [11]. The terms searched were (1) retinal ganglion cells and diabetic retinopathy, (2) retinal ganglion cells and diabetes, (3) alpha-1-antitrypsin and diabetes, (4) diabetic retinopathy and alpha-1-antitrypsin, (5) alpha-1-antritrypsin and inflammation
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