Neurochemical phenotype and birthdating of specific cell populations in the chick retina

The chick embryo is one of the most traditional models in developing neuroscience and its visual system has been one of the most exhaustively studied. The retina has been used as a model for studying the development of the nervous system. Here, we describe the morphological features that characterize each stage of the retina development and studies of the neurogenesis period of some specific neurochemical subpopulations of retinal cells by using a combination of immunohistochemistry and autoradiography of tritiated-thymidine. It could be concluded that the proliferation period of dopaminergic, GABAergic, cholinoceptive and GABAceptive cells does not follow a common rule of the neurogenesis. In addition, some specific neurochemical cell groups can have a restrict proliferation period when compared to the total cell population

New Insights on Dietary Polyphenols for the Management of Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation in Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a neurodegenerative and vascular pathology that is considered one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide, resulting from complications of advanced diabetes mellitus (DM). Current therapies consist of protocols aiming to alleviate the existing clinical signs associated with microvascular alterations limited to the advanced disease stages. In response to the low resolution and limitations of the DR treatment, there is an urgent need to develop more effective alternative therapies to optimize glycemic, vascular, and neuronal parameters, including the reduction in the cellular damage promoted by inflammation and oxidative stress. Recent evidence has shown that dietary polyphenols reduce oxidative and inflammatory parameters of various diseases by modulating multiple cell signaling pathways and gene expression, contributing to the improvement of several chronic diseases, including metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. However, despite the growing evidence for the bioactivities of phenolic compounds, there is still a lack of data, especially from human studies, on the therapeutic potential of these substances. This review aims to comprehensively describe and clarify the effects of dietary phenolic compounds on the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in DR, especially those of oxidative and inflammatory nature, through evidence from experimental studies. Finally, the review highlights the potential of dietary phenolic compounds as a prophylactic and therapeutic strategy and the need for further clinical studies approaching the efficacy of these substances in DR management