Inhibition of stromal cell-derived factor-1α/CXCR4 signaling restores the blood-retina barrier in pericyte-deficient mouse retinas.

ABSTRACT: In diabetic retinopathy (DR), pericyte dropout from capillary walls is believed to cause the breakdown of the blood-retina barrier (BRB), which subsequently leads to vision-threatening retinal edema. While various proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines are upregulated in eyes with DR, their distinct contributions to disease progression remain elusive. Here, we evaluated roles of stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) and its receptor CXCR4 in the BRB breakdown initiated by pericyte deficiency. After inhibition of pericyte recruitment to developing retinal vessels in neonatal mice, endothelial cells (ECs) upregulated the expression of SDF-1α. Administration of CXCR4 antagonists, or EC-specific disruption of the CXCR4 gene, similarly restored the BRB integrity, even in the absence of peri

SUBMITTER: Omori K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6328022 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature