Differential pericyte pathology in the human retina and brain in diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

In diabetic retinopathy, pericyte dysfunction, pericyte loss, and inner blood-retinal barrier (iBRB) dysfunction contribute to neurovascular unit (NVU) impairment. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is also associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and it has been hypothesized that DM-induced NVU impairment in brain capillaries, including pericyte dysfunction, may contribute to AD pathogenesis. In the present hypothesis-generating explorative study, we investigated pericyte characteristics in the iBRB in patients with type 2 DM with or without diabetic retinopathy (DR), and in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in type 2 DM and AD.

Methods

We analysed human retina and brain samples from controls and donors with DM and/or AD. Immunofluorescence staining for NG2,

SUBMITTER: Bakker-van Bugnum N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12916592 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature