Repression of retinal microvascular endothelial cells by transthyretin under simulated diabetic retinopathy conditions

PPARδ Inhibits Hyperglycemia-Triggered Senescence of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells by Upregulating SIRT1

Emerging evidence shows that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) plays a pivotal role in cellular aging. However, its function in retinal disease processes such as hyperglycemia-associated diabetic retinopathy is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that PPARδ inhibits premature senescence of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells induced by high glucose (HG) through SIRT1 upregulation. A specific ligand GW501516-activation of PPARδ suppressed premature senescence and production of reactive oxygen species induced by HG in ARPE-19 cells, a spontaneously arising human RPE cell line. These effects were accompanied by the regulation of the premature senescence-associated genes p53, p21, and SMP-30. Furthermore, GW501516-activated PPARδ almost completely abolished the effects of HG treatment on the formation of phosphorylated H2A histone family member X (γ-H2A.X) foci, a molecular marker of aging. These inhibitory effects of GW501516 were significantly reversed in ARPE-19 cells stably expressing small hairpin RNA targeting PPARδ. Notably, GW501516 significantly increased the mRNA and protein levels of SIRT1, indicating that GW501516-activated PPARδ exerted its beneficial effects through SIRT1. In addition, GW501516 restored HG-suppressed SIRT1 expression, corroborating the role of SIRT1 in the anti-senescence function of PPARδ. The effects of PPARδ on HG-induced premature senescence and the expression of the senescence-associated genes p53, p21, and SMP-30 were mimicked by the SIRT1 activator resveratrol, but blocked by the SIRT1 inhibitor sirtinol. Collectively, these results indicate that GW501516-activated PPARδ inhibits HG-triggered premature senescence of RPE cells by modulating SIRT1 signaling.

Systemic and vitreous biomarkers - new insights in diabetic retinopathy

PURPOSE

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between DR severity and the levels of potential biomarkers in the serum and/or vitreous.

METHODS

A prospective, consecutive, controlled, observational study was performed between June 2018 and January 2020. Blood and vitreous samples were collected on the day of vitrectomy in patients without diabetes and in patients with diabetes with epiretinal membrane, macular edema, and indication for vitrectomy.

RESULTS

Transthyretin (TTR) was the only blood biomarker with levels statistically higher in patients with diabetes (p = 0.037). However, no correlation with DR severity was observed. Erythropoietin (EPO) was the only blood biomarker whose levels were associated with DR severity (p = 0.036). In vitreous samples, levels of EPO (p = 0.011), interleukin (IL)-6 (p < 0.001), IL-8 (p < 0.001), IL-17 (p = 0.022), monokine induced by interferon-γ (MIG) (p < 0.001), and interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10) (p = 0.005) were significantly higher in patients with diabetes. Additionally, in vitreous, IL-6, IL-8, MIG, and IPL-10 levels were also higher in more severe DR cases (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Among the studied biomarkers, vitreous IL-6, IL-8, MIG, and IP-10 were the ones whose levels had the strongest coherent relationship with DR severity prediction and, thus, have the best potential post-vitrectomy prognostic value.

Transthyretin Upregulates Long Non-Coding RNA MEG3 by Affecting PABPC1 in Diabetic Retinopathy

The aim of the study was to demonstrate how transthyretin (TTR) could affect long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) of maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) and play important roles in diabetic retinopathy (DR). A DR model in C57BL/6 mice was established after intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). After intravitreal injection with TTR pAAV vector, MEG3 short hairpin RNA (shRNA), scrambled shRNA, or MEG3, retinal imaging, retinal trypsin digestion, and fundus vascular permeability tests were performed. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8), transwell, and Matrigel assays were employed to detect the proliferation and migration of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (hRECs). The binding between long non-coding RNA of maternally expressed gene 3 (lncRNA-MEG3) and microRNA-223-3p (miR-223-3p) was observed by using luciferase reporter assays, while co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) was employed to confirm the interaction between TTR and the target. In the DR mice model, retinal vascular leakage and angiogenesis were repressed by overexpressing TTR. In vitro, the added TTR promoted the level of lncRNA-MEG3 by interacting with poly (A) binding protein cytoplasmic 1 (PABPC1), and then repressed proliferation and angiogenesis of hRECs. In vivo, silencing or overexpressing lncRNA-MEG3 significantly affected retinal vascular phenotypes. Additionally, the interaction between lncRNA-MEG3 and miR-223-3p was confirmed, and silencing of miR-223-3p revealed similar effects on hRECs as overexpression of lncRNA-MEG3. In summary, in the DR environment, TTR might affect the lncRNA MEG3/miR-223-3p axis by the direct binding with PABPC1, and finally repress retinal vessel proliferation.

Transcriptome analysis identified a novel 3-LncRNA regulatory network of transthyretin attenuating glucose induced hRECs dysfunction in diabetic retinopathy

Background

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness in the working age population. Transthyretin (TTR) showed a significantly decreased concentration in DR patients and exerted a visual protective effect by repressing neovascularization. This work intended to identify long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and explore their potential mechanism underlying the protective role of TTR.

Methods

Transcriptome of human retinal endothelial cells (hRECs) treated with low glucose (LG), high glucose (HG) or high glucose with 4 μM TTR (HG + TTR) was conducted. Differentially expressed lncRNAs, mRNAs and TTR related lncRNAs and mRNA were acquired. Functional annotation and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis were applied to analyse TTR affected pathways and processes. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was implemented to obtain hub modules and genes. LncRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were constructed based on cis, trans and competing endogenous RNAs acting mode. QRT-PCR was conducted to validate the expression of lncRNAs in aqueous humor and serum samples from 30 DR patients and 10 normal controls.

Results

RNA-sequencing of hRECs treated with low glucose (LG), high glucose (HG) or high glucose with 4 μM TTR (HG + TTR) was conducted. 146,783 protein-coding transcripts, 12,403 known lncRNA transcripts and 1184 novel non-coding transcripts were characterized. A total of 11,407 differentially expressed mRNAs (DE-mRNAs), 679 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE-lncRNAs) in HG group versus LG group, 6206 DE-mRNAs and 194 DE-lncRNAs in HG + TTR versus HG group were obtained, respectively. 853 TTR-mRNAs and 48 TTR-lncRNAs were acquired, and functionally involved in cell cycle, apoptosis, inflammation signalling pathway, response to oxidative stress, neovascularization and autophagy. The WGCNA analysis identified a hub module of 133 genes, with the core function of oxidative stress response, angiogenesis, MAPK pathway, cell proliferation and apoptosis. After qRT-PCR validation, a 3-lncRNA regulatory network was proposed. At last, lncRNAs MSTRG.15047.3 and AC008403.3 showed significantly relative higher expression levels in both aqueous humor and serum samples, compared with normal controls, and FRMD6-AS2 was significantly down-regulated.

Conclusions

TTR regulated mRNAs and biological processes including oxidative stress, inflammation signalling and autophagy. A 3-lncRNA regulatory network was characterized underlying TTR repressing neovascularization, and showed potential diagnostic performance in DR.

Negative effects of transthyretin in high myopic vitreous on diabetic retinopathy

AIM

To analyze the relationship between vitreous transthyretin (TTR) levels, high myopia and diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHODS

We selected 6722 individuals from the southern Jiangsu Province for diabetes and ophthalmic examinations. The TTR concentration in the vitreous of 50 patients with high myopia and diabetes, 50 patients with only DR, and 20 healthy controls were determined by ELISA. Key factors in Tie2 pathway in DR development including vascular endothecial growth factor (VEGF), Tie2, Angpt1, Angpt2, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) 1 and VEGFR2 were also detected by ELISA.

RESULTS

The prevalence of DR in patients with diabetes and myopia [<6.00 diopter (D)], diabetes and high myopia (>6.00 D), and diabetes without myopia were 11.1%, 2.5%, and 60.0%, respectively. The vitreous TTR concentration of patients with diabetes and high myopia was approximately 6.5- and 4.2-times higher than those of patients with DR and healthy controls, respectively (P<0.05). Following the vitreous TTR concentration, the levels of VEGF, Tie2, Angpt1, Angpt2, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 in vitreous of diabetes and high myopia patients, DR patients and healthy controls were detected as dramatically fluctuated.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that TTR can affect the vitreous contents of key factors in Tie2 pathway for neovascularization, and there should be a protective association between abundant TTR levels in the vitreous of highly myopic patients and a decreased risk of DR.