Glucose metabolism in rat retinal pigment epithelium.
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is the major transport pathway for exchange of metabolites and ions between choroidal blood supply and the neural retina. To gain insight into the mechanisms controlling glucose metabolism in RPE and its possible relationship to retinopathy, we studied the influence of different glucose concentrations on glycogen and lactate levels and CO(2) production in RPE from normal and streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats. Incubation of normal RPE in the absence of glucose caused a decrease in lactate production and glycogen content. In normal RPE, increasing glucose concentrations from 5.6 mM to 30 mM caused a four-fold increase in glucose accumulation and CO(2) yield, as well as reduction in lactate and glycogen production. In RPE from diabetic rats glucose accumulation did not increase in the presence of high glucose substrate, but it showed a four- and a seven-fold increase in CO(2) production through the mitochondrial and pentose phosphate pathways, respectively. We found high glycogen levels in RPE which can be used as an energy reserve for RPE itself and/or neural retina. Findings further show that the RPE possesses a high oxidative capacity. The large increase in glucose shunting to the pentose phosphate pathway in diabetic retina exposed to high glucose suggests a need for reducing capacity, consistent with increased oxidative stress.
Departamento de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo, Postal 70-253, C.P. 04510 México, D.F., México.
Víctor
V
Coffe
Raymundo C
RC
Carbajal
Rocío
R
Salceda
D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000378:metabolism*; D019289:Pyruvic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D019344:Lactic Acid; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D006003:Glycogen; D005947:Glucose