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Haliyur R, Parkinson DH, Ma F, Xu J, Li Q, Huang Y, Tsoi LC, Bogle R, Liu J, Gudjonsson JE, Rao RC. Liquid Biopsy for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Human Vitreous Reveals Inflammatory T-Cell Signature. OPHTHALMOLOGY SCIENCE 2024; 4:100539. [PMID: 39220810 PMCID: PMC11365369 DOI: 10.1016/j.xops.2024.100539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Purpose Current therapies for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) do not specifically target VEGF-independent, cell-type-specific processes that lead to vision loss, such as inflammatory pathways. This study aimed to identify targetable cell types and corresponding signaling pathways by elucidating the single-cell landscape of the vitreous of patients with PDR. Design Case series. Subjects Vitreous and peripheral blood obtained from 5 adult patients (6 eyes) undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for vision-threatening PDR. Methods Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed on vitreous cells obtained from diluted cassette washings during vitrectomy from 6 eyes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs, n = 5). Droplet-based scRNA-seq was performed using the Chromium 10x platform to obtain single-cell transcriptomes. Differences in tissue compartments were analyzed with gene ontology enrichment of differentially expressed genes and an unbiased ligand-receptor interaction analysis. Main Outcome Measures Single-cell transcriptomic profiles of vitreous and peripheral blood. Results Transcriptomes from 13 675 surgically harvested vitreous cells and 22 636 PBMCs were included. Clustering revealed 4 cell states consistently across all eyes with representative transcripts for T cells (CD2, CD3D, CD3E, and GZMA), B cells (CD79A, IGHM, MS4A1 (CD20), and HLA-DRA), myeloid cells (LYZ, CST3, AIF1, and IFI30), and neutrophils (BASP1, CXCR2, S100A8, and S100A9). Most vitreous cells were T cells (91.6%), unlike the peripheral blood (46.2%), whereas neutrophils in the vitreous were essentially absent. The full repertoire of adaptive T cells including CD4+, CD8+ and T regulatory cells (Treg) and innate immune system effectors (i.e., natural killer T cells) was present in the vitreous. Pathway analysis also demonstrated activation of CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells and ligand-receptor interactions unique to the vitreous. Conclusions In the first single-cell transcriptomic characterization of human vitreous in a disease state, we show PDR vitreous is primarily composed of T cells, a critical component of adaptive immunity, with activity and proportions distinct from T cells within the peripheral blood, and neutrophils are essentially absent. These results demonstrate the feasibility of liquid vitreous biopsies via collection of otherwise discarded, diluted cassette washings during vitrectomy to gain mechanistic and therapeutic insights into human vitreoretinal disease. Financial Disclosures Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachana Haliyur
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - David H. Parkinson
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Feiyang Ma
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Yuanhao Huang
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lam C. Tsoi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Rachael Bogle
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Johann E. Gudjonsson
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Rajesh C. Rao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Section of Ophthalmology, Surgery Service, Veterans Administration Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Yang Y, Wen Z, Zhang Y, Li P, Zhao J, Sun Y, Wang P, Lin W. Berberine alleviates diabetic retinopathy by regulating the Th17/Treg ratio. Immunol Lett 2024; 267:106862. [PMID: 38702033 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2024.106862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetic retinopathy (DR) stands as a prominent complication of diabetes. Berberine (BBR) has reported to be effective to ameliorate the retinal damage of DR. Studying the potential immunological mechanisms of BBR on the streptozotocin (STZ) induced DR mouse model will explain the therapeutic mechanisms of BBR and provide theoretical basis for the clinical application of this drug. METHODS C57BL/6 J mice were induced into a diabetic state using a 50 mg/(kg·d) dose of STZ over a 5-day period. Subsequently, they were subjected to a high-fat diet (HFD) for one month. Following a 5-week treatment with 100 mg/(kg·d) BBR, the concentrations of inflammatory factors in the mice's peripheral blood were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to scrutinize pathological changes in the mice's retinas, while flow cytometry assessed the proportions of T-lymphocyte subsets and the activation status of dendritic cells (DCs) in the spleen and lymph nodes. CD4+T cells and DC2.4 cell lines were utilized to investigate the direct and indirect effects of BBR on T cells under high glucose conditions in vitro. RESULTS Following 5 weeks of BBR treatment in the streptozotocin (STZ) mouse model of DR, we observed alleviation of retinal lesions and a down-regulation in the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, namely TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, in the serum of these mice. And in the spleen and lymph nodes of these mice, BBR inhibited the proportion of Th17 cells and promoted the proportion of Treg cells, thereby down-regulating the Th17/Treg ratio. Additionally, in vitro experiments, BBR directly inhibited the expression of the transcription factor RORγt and promoted the expression of the transcription factor Foxp3 in T cells, resulting in a down-regulation of the Th17/Treg ratio. Furthermore, BBR indirectly modulated the Th17/Treg ratio by suppressing the secretion of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 by DCs and enhancing the secretion of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) by DCs. This dual action inhibited Th17 cell differentiation while promoting Treg cells. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that BBR regulate T cell subpopulation differentiation, reducing the Th17/Treg ratio by directly or indirectly pathway. This represents a potential therapeutic avenue of BBR for improving diabetic retinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- Department of Medicine, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang 712082, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Zexin Wen
- Department of Medicine, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang 712082, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Yanli Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang 712082, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Pengfei Li
- School of Medicine, Xinjiang Tarim University, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, PR China
| | - Junyao Zhao
- Department of Public scientific research platform, School of clinical and basic medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250017, Shandong, PR China
| | - Yujie Sun
- Department of Public scientific research platform, School of clinical and basic medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250017, Shandong, PR China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Public scientific research platform, School of clinical and basic medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250017, Shandong, PR China
| | - Wei Lin
- Department of Public scientific research platform, School of clinical and basic medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250017, Shandong, PR China; Institute of Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250017, Shandong, PR China; Department of Critical-care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250017, Shandong, PR China.
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Xi X, Chen Q, Ma J, Wang X, Zhang J, Li Y. Sestrin2 ameliorates diabetic retinopathy by regulating autophagy and ferroptosis. J Mol Histol 2024; 55:169-184. [PMID: 38165565 PMCID: PMC10991044 DOI: 10.1007/s10735-023-10180-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a serious microvascular complication of diabetes. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of Sestrin2 on DR through the regulation of autophagy and ferroptosis levels and its mechanism. In vitro and in vivo DR models were established by high glucose (HG) and streptozotocin (STZ) induction of ARPE-19 human retinal pigment epithelial cells and C57BL/6 mice, respectively. In this study, we demonstrated that after HG treatment, the activity of ARPE-19 cells was decreased, the apoptosis rate was increased, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was activated, autophagy levels were decreased, and ferroptosis levels were increased. Overexpression of Sestrin2 enhanced cell viability, reduced apoptosis and ferroptosis, and enhanced autophagy. However, the effect of overexpression of Sestrin2 was attenuated after the addition of the STAT3 phosphorylation activator Colivelin TFA (C-TFA), the mTOR pathway activator MHY1485 or the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). In addition, the effect of Sestrin2 knockdown on cells was opposite to the effect of overexpression of Sestrin2, while the effect of Sestrin2 knockdown was attenuated after treatment with the ER stress inhibitor 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA). Animal experiments also confirmed the results of cell experiments and attenuated the effects of overexpression of Sestrin2 after injection of the ferroptosis activators erastin or 3-MA. Our study revealed that Sestrin2 inhibits ferroptosis by inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation and ER stress and promoting autophagy levels, thereby alleviating DR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoting Xi
- Ophthalmology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Qianbo Chen
- Ophthalmology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Jia Ma
- Ophthalmology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Xuewei Wang
- Ophthalmology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Junyan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Evidence-based Medicine, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030000, China
| | - Yan Li
- Ophthalmology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China.
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