EFFECTS OF HIGH GLUCOSE ON VEGF-B AND ITS RECEPTOR AND CELL PATHWAYS IN RPE AND HREC

DENG YONG-HONG¹, LIU LI-XIA², MA XIAO-LI³, JIAN WEN-YUAN¹, ZHAO YING¹

¹Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 37 Shi-er-qiao Road, Jinniu District, Chengdu 610075, Sichuan, China - ²Henan Vocational College of Nursing, Department of Basic Medical Science Adress:Anyang, 455000, Henan, China - ³Sichuan KeLun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical Co.LTD, No.666, Xinhua Avenue, Cross-strait Science and Technology Industry Development Zone, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611138, Sichuan, China

Objective: To investigate the effects of high glucose on VEGF-B and its receptors and cell pathways in RPE and HREC.

Methods: RPE and HREC cells were cultured in 5.5 mmol/L glucose (control group) and 40.0 mmol/L glucose (high glucose group), respectively, according to the different culture conditions. The expression of the VEGF-B protein in RPE and HREC cells, and the expression of VEGFR-1 (Flt-1), NP-1 and cell pathway-related molecules including Erk, p-Erk, Akt, p-Akt, Src, p-Src of the two groups were recorded and compared.

Results: The expression of VEGF-B, Flt-1, Erk, p-Erk, Akt and p-Akt in RPE and HREC cells of the high glucose group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). All indicators showed a trend to increase to start (6-24 h) and then decreased (> 24h). The expression of NP-1, Src and p-Src in the high glucose group was not significantly different from that in the control group (P>0.05).

Conclusion: High glucose can stimulate the expression of VEGF-B in RPE and HREC cells. A high level of VEGF-B is associated with Flt-1 specificity, which will activate Erk and Akt molecules in downstream cell pathways and promote retinal neo- vascularisation, therefore protecting the retina from high glucose damage.