Osmotic Induction of Angiogenic Growth Factor Expression in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although systemic hypertension is a risk factor of age-related macular degeneration, antihypertensive medications do not affect the risk of the disease. One condition that induces hypertension is high intake of dietary salt resulting in increased blood osmolarity. In order to prove the assumption that, in addition to hypertension, high osmolarity may aggravate neovascular retinal diseases, we determined the effect of extracellular hyperosmolarity on the expression of angiogenic cytokines in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells.

Methodology/principal findings

Hyperosmolarity was induced by the addition of 100 mM NaCl or sucrose to the culture medium. Hypoxia and oxidative stress were induced by the addition of the hypoxia mimetic CoCl2 and H2O2, re

SUBMITTER: Veltmann M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4723123 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature