机构:[1]Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China, 大德路总院珠海院区眼科眼科广东省中医院[2]State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Objective: To investigate the effect of Mingmu Xiaomeng tablets (MMXM) on the expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-related proteins in a diabetic rat model. Methods: Thirty-two male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control (NC), diabetic model (DM) control, MMXM, and calcium dobesilate (CD) Rats injected with streptozotocin (STZ) were used as an experimental diabetes model. After 14 weeks, autophagy and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway proteins were detected by western blot. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in Muller cells was examined by immunohistochemistry. Retinal function was evaluated with electroretinography, and retinal ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Serum cytokine levels were detected with protein chip technology. Results: MMXM restored autophagy by decreasing the protein expression of LC3-II and p62 and reducing the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR, thus promoting autophagy. MMXM decreased GFAP expression in retinal Muller cells; restored electrophysiology indexes and retinal ultrastructures; and reduced serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-4, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and vascular endothelial growth factor. Conclusion: MMXM may protect the diabetic retina by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling and enhancing autophagy.
基金:
National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [81570862]; Provincial Science and technology program of Guangdong Province [2014A020221051]