Update on the Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy

Retinopathy is the most feared complication of diabetes, compromising quality of life in most sufferers. Almost all patients with type 1 diabetes will develop retinopathy over a 15- to 20-year period, and approximately 20–30% will advance to the blinding stage of the disease[1]. Greater than 60% of patients with type 2 diabetes will have retinopathy. This situation is highlighted by the frightening statistic that diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains the most common cause of vision impairment in people of working age in Western society. With the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes, this predicament is set to worsen as over 360 million people are projected to suffer from diabetes and its complications by 2030. Vision loss from diabetes is due to a number of factors, including haemorrhage from new and poorly formed blood vessels, retinal detachment due to contraction of deposited fibrous tissue, and neovascular glaucoma resulting in an increase in intraocular pressure. Diabetic macular oedema is now the principal cause of vision loss in diabetes and involves leakage from a disrupted blood-retinal barrier. In terms of treatment, there is clear evidence that strict metabolic and blood pressure control can lower the risk of developing DR and reduce disease progression. Laser photocoagulation and vitrectomy are effective in preventing severe vision loss in DR, particularly in the most advanced stages of the disease. However, both procedures have limitations. This review examines evidence from preclinical and clinical studies that shows that targeting inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system, vascular endothelial growth factor, corticosteroids, protein kinase C, growth hormone, and advanced glycation end-products are potential treatments for DR

Retinal dysfunction in diabetic Ren-2 rats is ameliorated by treatment with valsartan but not atenolol

PURPOSE. To determine whether diabetes leads to retinal neuronal dysfunction in hypertensive transgenic (mRen-2)27 rats (Ren-2), and whether the effect can be prevented by treatment of hypertension with either the angiotensin-1 receptor blocker (AT1-RB) valsartan or the ␤1-adrenergic receptor antagonist atenolol. METHODS. Six-week-old Ren-2 rats were made diabetic (streptozotocin 55 mg/kg; n ϭ 34) or remained nondiabetic (0.1 M citrate buffer; n ϭ 43) and studied for 20 weeks. A subset of animals received valsartan (4 mg/kg per day) or atenolol (30 mg/kg per day) by gavage. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats served as normotensive controls for blood pressure (BP). We evaluated retinal function in all groups with a paired-flash electroretinogram over high light intensities (0.5-2.0 log cd-s ⅐ m Ϫ2 ), to isolate rod and cone responses. RESULTS. A reduction in amplitude of all electroretinogram components (PIII, PII, OPs, cone PII) was found in nondiabetic Ren-2 compared with nondiabetic SD rats. A further reduction was observed in diabetic Ren-2 rats. Treatment of both nondiabetic and diabetic Ren-2 rats with valsartan or atenolol reduced BP to within normal limits. This reduction produced some improvement in function in treated nondiabetic Ren-2 rats. However, in treated diabetic Ren-2 rats, retinal dysfunction was ameliorated by valsartan but not by atenolol, with a significant improvement (P Ͻ 0.05) observed in all components of the electroretinogram, with the exception of the OPs. CONCLUSIONS. These findings suggest that hypertension induces retinal dysfunction that is exacerbated with diabetes and ameliorated by treatment with an AT1-RB, and not just by normalizing BP. These data provide further evidence for the importance of the renin-angiotensin system in development of diabetic complications. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48: 927-934

Effect of NADPH oxidase 1 and 4 blockade in activated human retinal endothelial cells

© 2018 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (January 2018) in accordance with the publisher's archiving policy.Background Over‐production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and resulting oxidative stress contribute to retinal damage in vascular diseases that include diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity and major retinal vessel occlusions. NADPH oxidase (Nox) proteins are professional ROS‐generating enzymes, and therapeutic targeting in these diseases has strong appeal. Pharmacological inhibition of Nox4 reduces the severity of experimental retinal vasculopathy. We investigated the potential application of this drug approach in humans. Methods Differential Nox enzyme expression was studied by real‐time‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction in primary human retinal endothelial cell isolates and a characterized human retinal endothelial cell line. Oxidative stress was triggered chemically in endothelial cells, by treatment with dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG; 100 μM); Nox4 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) transcript were measured; and production of ROS was detected by 2′,7′‐dichlorofluorescein. DMOG‐stimulated endothelial cells were treated with two Nox1/Nox4 inhibitors, GKT136901 and GKT137831; cell growth was monitored by DNA quantification, in addition to VEGFA transcript and ROS production. Results Nox4 (isoform Nox4A) was the predominant Nox enzyme expressed by human retinal endothelial cells. Treatment with DMOG significantly increased endothelial cell expression of Nox4 over 72 h, accompanied by ROS production and increased VEGFA expression. Treatment with GKT136901 or GKT137831 significantly reduced DMOG‐induced ROS production and VEGFA expression by endothelial cells, and the inhibitory effect of DMOG on cell growth. Conclusions Our findings in experiments on activated human retinal endothelial cells provide translational corroboration of studies in experimental models of retinal vasculopathy and support the therapeutic application of Nox4 inhibition by GKT136901 and GKT137831 in patients with retinal vascular diseases

NADPH oxidase, NOX1, mediates vascular injury in ischemic retinopathy

<b>Aims:</b> Ischemic retinal diseases such as retinopathy of prematurity are major causes of blindness due to damage to the retinal microvasculature. Despite this clinical situation, retinopathy of prematurity is mechanistically poorly understood. Therefore, effective preventative therapies are not available. However, hypoxic-induced increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been suggested to be involved with NADPH oxidases (NOX), the only known dedicated enzymatic source of ROS. Our major aim was to determine the contribution of NOX isoforms (1, 2, and 4) to a rodent model of retinopathy of prematurity. <b>Results:</b> Using a genetic approach, we determined that only mice with a deletion of NOX1, but not NOX2 or NOX4, were protected from retinal neovascularization and vaso-obliteration, adhesion of leukocytes, microglial accumulation, and the increased generation of proangiogenic and proinflammatory factors and ROS. We complemented these studies by showing that the specific NOX inhibitor, GKT137831, reduced vasculopathy and ROS levels in retina. The source of NOX isoforms was evaluated in retinal vascular cells and neuro-glial elements. Microglia, the immune cells of the retina, expressed NOX1, 2, and 4 and responded to hypoxia with increased ROS formation, which was reduced by GKT137831. <b>Innovation:</b> Our studies are the first to identify the NOX1 isoform as having an important role in the pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our findings suggest that strategies targeting NOX1 have the potential to be effective treatments for a range of ischemic retinopathie