High fat diet dysregulates microRNA-17-5p and triggers retinal inflammation: Role of endoplasmic-reticulum-stress.

Aim: To elucidate how high diet-induced endoplasmic reticulum-stress upregulates thioredoxin interacting protein expression in Müller cells leading to retinal inflammation.

Methods: Male C57Bl/J mice were fed either normal diet or 60% high fat diet for 4-8 wk. During the 4 wk study, mice received phenyl-butyric acid (PBA); endoplasmic reticulum-stress inhibitor; for 2 wk.

Imbalance of the nerve growth factor and its precursor as a potential biomarker for diabetic retinopathy.

Our previous studies have demonstrated that diabetes-induced oxidative stress alters homeostasis of retinal nerve growth factor (NGF) resulting in accumulation of its precursor, proNGF, at the expense of NGF which plays a critical role in preserving neuronal and retinal function. This imbalance coincided with retinal damage in experimental diabetes. Here we test the hypothesis that alteration of proNGF and NGF levels observed in retina and vitreous will be mirrored in serum of diabetic patients.