Molecular response of chorioretinal endothelial cells to complement injury: implications for macular degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common, blinding disease of the elderly in which macular photoreceptor cells, retinal pigment epithelium and choriocapillaris endothelial cells ultimately degenerate. Recent studies have found that degeneration of the choriocapillaris occurs early in this disease and that endothelial cell drop-out is concomitant with increased deposition of the complement membrane attack complex (MAC) at the choroidal endothelium. However, the impact of MAC injury to choroidal endothelial cells is poorly understood. To model this event in vitro, and to study the downstream consequences of MAC injury, endothelial cells were exposed to complement from human serum, compared to heat-inactivated serum, which lacks complement components. Cells exposed to complement com

SUBMITTER: Zeng S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4900182 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature