title: Vascular endothelial growth factor is induced by long-term high glucose concentration and up-regulated by acute glucose deprivation in cultured bovine retinal pigmented epithelial cells.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is closely correlated to diabetic retinopathy. Its basal production in three types of cultured retinal cells (endothelial cells, pericytes and retinal pigment epithelial cells; RPE) was examined. RPE production of VEGF was markedly higher than the rest of the cells. VEGF production in RPE was significantly elevated by 10-day, but not by 1- or 3-day exposure to 16.5 mM glucose compared to a 5.5 mM glucose group. Transient deterioration of diabetic retinopathy is frequently observed during rapid correction of glycemic control. To determine whether VEGF is up-regulated following a sharp drop in the glucose concentration or not, we examined the changes in VEGF production in RPE before and after a sudden drop in the glucose concentration. VEGF production was significantly increased by a glucose concentration decrease from 5.5 to 0.5 mM, but not by a decrease from 33 or 16.5 to 5.5 mM. These findings suggest that up-regulation of VEGF may contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy and its worsening by hypoglycemia.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sone
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanatani
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005947:Glucose / Q000172:deficiency / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D005947:Glucose