title: Vaccinium myrtillus extract prevents or delays the onset of diabetes--induced blood-retinal barrier breakdown.
abstract: Many dietary supplements have been sold through advertising their large number of beneficial effects. The aim of this study was to determine whether bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) help to prevent diabetes-induced retinal vascular dysfunction in vivo. V. myrtillus extract (VME; 100 mg/kg) was orally administered to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats for 6 weeks. All diabetic rats exhibited hyperglycemia, and VME did not affect the blood glucose levels and body weight during the experiments. In the fluorescein-dextran angiography, the fluorescein leakage was significantly reduced in diabetic rats treated with VME. VME treatment also decreased markers of diabetic retinopathy, such as retinal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and degradation of zonula occludens-1, occludin and claudin-5 in diabetic rats. In conclusion, VME may prevent or delay the onset of early diabetic retinopathy. These findings have important implications for prevention of diabetic retinopathy using a dietary bilberry supplement.
authors.affiliation: Korean Medicine Based Herbal Drug Development Group, Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine , Daejeon , South Korea.
authors.forename: Junghyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chan-Sik
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yun Mi
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eunjin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: Kyuhyung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Jin Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001813:Blood-Retinal Barrier / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D062507:Claudin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D003911:Dextrans / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D062793:Occludin / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D029800:Vaccinium myrtillus; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D062507:Claudin-5; D003911:Dextrans; D005452:Fluoresceins; D062793:Occludin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; C052526:fluorescein-dextran; C073305:Vaccinium myrtillus extract
keywords: Anthocyanins; bilberry; blood–retinal barrier; diabetic retinopathy; vascular endothelial growth factor