title: Expression of visfatin in the diabetic rat retina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Visfatin has been found in adipose tissue, liver and kidney of healthy and diabetic people, with its expression being increased in the aforementioned tissues in diabetes. Based on the former researches, visfatin may exist in the retina and affect the development of diabetic retinopathy. The expression of visfatin in Sprague-Dawley rats' retina, which may carve a path to study the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, was investigated by this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mRNA and protein expression of visfatin in Sprague-Dawley rats' retina were detected by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot. Immunohistochemical staining was applied to detect the expression location of visfatin in the rats' retinas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mRNA and visfatin protein expressions in both normal and streptozocin-induced diabetic rats' retina increased significantly in 2 to 8 weeks of diabetes mellitus (DM). Compared with the normal control groups, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The histological examination showed that the retinal thickness decreased gradually over the course of DM and the decrease in the outer nuclear layer was the most obvious. At 4 and 8 weeks, the decrease in the retinal thickness was significant (P < 0.01). Visfatin was expressed in the retinal nerve fibre layer, inner plexiform layer and outer plexiform layer, and with the progression of DM, its expression was increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visfatin was expressed in the rats' retinas, mainly in the retinal nerve fibre layer, inner plexiform layer and outer plexiform layer. As the development of DM course, its expression was gradually increased.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Putuo District Centre Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yunli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Centre, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoting
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Houshuo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ao
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; C504970:nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, rat
keywords: diabetic retinopathy; pathogenesis; visfatin