Paper

Effects of Generated trans-Arachidonic Acids on Retinal Capillary during Nitrative Stress in Diabetic Rats
Lin Xu^a, Guoliang Xun^b, Zhujun Yao^b, Yumin Liu^c, Yunping Qiu^d, Kun Liu^a, Dongqing Zhu^a, Qing Gu^a, Xun Xu^a, Patrick C.P. Ho<sup>e

a</sup>Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated First People's Hospital,
^bState Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
^cInstrumental Analysis Center and
^dSchool of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, PR China;
^eHong Kong Eye Associates, Hong Kong, China

Address of Corresponding Author

Ophthalmologica 2008;222:37-41 (DOI: 10.1159/000109277)

  Key Words

• trans-arachidonic acid
• Nitrative stress
• Diabetic rat
• Thrombospondin-1
• Retinal pericyte

  Abstract

Purpose: To investigate whether the trans-arachidonic acids (TAAs) change in diabetic conditions and the effect on capillary cells and its possible mechanism. Methods: Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin at 60 mg kg^-1 body weight. The amount of TAAs and arachidonic acid (AA) in serum of diabetic rats was measured by the gas chromatography and mass spectrometry method and the ratio of the peak area of TAAs to AA with a selected ion of 79 was estimated by group t test. The expression level of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) in the retina was examined by Western blot. The pericyte apoptotic index was investigated by flow cytometry. Result: The ratio of TAAs to AA significantly increased in serum at the time points of 8, 12 and 16 weeks after streptozotocin induction (p < 0.05). The expression of TSP-1 in the retina of diabetic rats elevated with longer duration of diabetes (checking the time points of 2-, 4-, 8-, 12- and 16-week diabetic rats). The expression of TSP-1 tended to be physiologically elevated in relation to age but less significantly than in the diabetic group. TAAs could not induce the apoptosis of retinal pericytes (p > 0.05). Conclusion: TAAs were generated associated with nitrative stress in diabetic rats and a possible mechanism of microvascular injury exits in diabetic conditions.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Prof. Xun Xu
Department of Ophthalmology
Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated First People's Hospital
85 Wujin Road, Shanghai 200080 (China)
Tel. +86 21 6306 7385, Fax +86 21 6324 0825, E-Mail drxuxun@tom.com

  Article Information

Published online: December 19, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 3, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 21