title: Extracellular matrix, gap junctions, and retinal vascular homeostasis in diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: The vascular basement membrane (BM) contains extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that assemble in a highly organized manner to form a supportive substratum for cell attachment facilitating myriad functions that are vital to cell survival and overall retinal homeostasis. The BM provides a microenvironment in which bidirectional signaling through integrins regulates cell attachment, turnover, and functionality. In diabetic retinopathy, the BM undergoes profound structural and functional changes, and recent studies have brought to light the implications of such changes. Thickened vascular BM in the retinal capillaries actively participate in the development and progression of characteristic changes associated with diabetic retinopathy. High glucose (HG)-induced compromised cell-cell communication via gap junctions (GJ) in retinal vascular cells may disrupt homeostasis in the retinal microenvironment. In this review, the role of altered ECM synthesis, compromised GJ activity, and disturbed retinal homeostasis in the development of retinal vascular lesions in diabetic retinopathy are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: sayon@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Sayon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Shruti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Dongjoon
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: basement membrane; collagen type IV; connexin; diabetic retinopathy; extracellular matrix; fibronectin; gap junction; laminin