Robert Gendron
Tanzania
Research Article
Thrombospondin-1 Deficiency Exacerbates the Pathogenesis of Diabetic Retinopathy
Author(s): Christine M Sorenson, Shoujian Wang, Robert Gendron, Hélène Paradis and Nader SheibaniChristine M Sorenson, Shoujian Wang, Robert Gendron, Hélène Paradis and Nader Sheibani
Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. Access to new animal models that exhibit retinal vasculopathies with short duration of diabetes, are vital for understanding the underlying mechanisms and examining the efficacy of new treatment modalities. Our previous studies demonstrated decreased expression of Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis, in eyes from both patients and rodents with diabetes. Here we examined whether TSP1 deficiency could exacerbate diabetic retinal vasculopathies. Akita/+ male mice reproducibly develop diabetes by 4 weeks of age. These mice demonstrated the early non-proliferative stages of diabetic retinopathy, including decreased numbers of pericytes and increased glial cell activation. However, Akita/+ male mice deficient in TSP1 (Akita/+; TSP1-/-) demonstrated more advanced stages of diabetic retinop.. View More»
