title: Tonicity response element binding protein associated with neuronal cell death in the experimental diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the contribution of tonicity response element binding protein (TonEBP) in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death of diabetic retinopathy (DR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetes was induced in C57BL/6 mice by five consecutive intraperitoneal injections of 55 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ). Control mice received vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline). All mice were killed 2mo after injections, and the extent of cell death and the protein expression levels of TonEBP and aldose reductase (AR) were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The TonEBP and AR protein levels and the death of RGC were significantly increased in the retinas of diabetic mice compared with controls 2mo after the induction of diabetes. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive signals co-localized with TonEBP immunoreactive RGC. These changes were increased in the diabetic retinas compared with controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data show that AR and TonEBP are upregulated in the DR and TonEBP may contribute to apoptosis of RGC in the DR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea ; Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea.
authors.forename: Seong-Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, BK21 Biomedical Center, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea ; Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea.
authors.forename: Hwajin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, BK21 Biomedical Center, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea ; Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeongsook
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea ; Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea.
authors.forename: Inyoung
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute and Science and Technology, Ulsan 689-798, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyug-Moo
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, BK21 Biomedical Center, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea ; Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea.
authors.forename: Wan-Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea ; Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-751, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Myong
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yoo
keywords: aldose reductase; diabetes; retinopathy; tonicity response element binding protein