title: Resveratrol blocks diabetes-induced early vascular lesions and vascular endothelial growth factor induction in mouse retinas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vessel leakage and loss of pericytes are early signs of diabetic retinopathy (DR), which leads to vision loss. Upregulation of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during diabetes plays a key role in mediating these vascular lesions. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of resveratrol, a natural plant-derived phytoalexin, on vascular damage and VEGF induction in mouse retinas of early diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetes was induced in C57BL/6 mice by five consecutive-intraperitoneal injections of 55 mg/kg of streptozotocin (STZ). Animals injected with buffer only were used as controls. Beginning 1 month after the fifth injection of STZ or buffer, 20 mg/kg of resveratrol was administered by oral gavage daily for 4 weeks to diabetic and control mice, and all mice were killed 2 months after the injections. We assessed vessel leakage, pericyte loss and VEGF protein expression in mouse retinas of 2-month diabetes compared with controls with or without resveratrol treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diabetes led to increase vessel leakage, pericyte loss and VEGF protein level in the mouse retinas compared with controls; however, these changes were effectively blocked by resveratrol treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that resveratrol is effective to decrease vascular lesions and VEGF induction in mouse retinas of early diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, BK21 Biomedical Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoon Sook
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Gu Seob
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: Wan Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Gyeong Jae
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001813:Blood-Retinal Barrier / Q000502:physiology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001835:Body Weight; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020286:Pericytes / Q000473:pathology; D000077185:Resveratrol; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D001786:Blood Glucose; D013267:Stilbenes; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467480:vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse; D000077185:Resveratrol