RD

AIM: In the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are elevated in the retina and the mitochondria are damaged, resulting in accelerated apoptosis. Dyslipidemia is also considered as one of the major factors in its development, and our aim is to investigate the compounding effect of hyperlipidemia in retinopathy. METHODS: Retinal ROS, mitochondrial damage and vascular pathology were investigated in Zucker diabetic fatty rats (ZDF, type 2 diabetes model), during the age that spans from hyperlipidemia/pre-hyperglycemia (6weeks), to severe hyperglycemia/moderate hyperlipidemia (~12weeks), and ultimately to severe hyperglycemia/hyperlipidemia (20-40weeks)...

Diabetic retinopathy is a microvascular complication of diabetes that is considered one of the leading causes of blindness among adults. More than 4.4 million people suffer from this disorder throughout the world. Growing evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a redox sensitive transcription factor, plays an essential protective role in regulating the physiological response to oxidative and electrophilic stress via regulation of multiple genes encoding antioxidant proteins and phase II detoxifying enzymes...