Use of a three dimensional porcine retinal explant model to detect HIF1 alpha and targets for understanding diabetic retinopathy.

Iwuagwu, Benedicta U.; Cruickshank, Stuart F.; Rowe, Iain; Knott, Rachel M.

Abstract

Diabeticretinopathy (DR) is a major microvascular complication associated with diabetes mellitus and is a leading cause of blindness. Hypoxia and hyperglycemia are suggested to play crucial pathophysiological roles, but the exact mechanisms are complex and the precise events are still debated. Models of DR, including organotypic cultures (retinal explants) contribute significantly to studies in DR. This study utilised a retinal explant model consisting of whole porcine retina, embedded within an agarose-collagen three-dimensional (3D) matrix. Explants were cultured in 5.5mM (low) or 25mM (high) glucose for up to twenty-four hours. The aim of this work is to investigate the expression and localization of the hypoxia inducible factor -1 alpha (HIF1alpha),a critical transcription factor in DR, and other targets: endothelial proliferation marker (CD31), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and cellular proliferation marker (Ki67) in explants.

Citation

IWUAGWU, B.U., CRUICKSHANK, S.F., ROWE, I. and KNOTT, R.M. 2017. Use of a three dimensional porcine retinal explant model to detect HIF1 alpha and targets for understanding diabetic retinopathy. Presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting 2017 (ASBMB'17), 22-26 April 2017, Chicago, USA.

• Presentation Conference Type: Poster
• Conference Name: American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting 2017 (ASBMB'17)
• Conference Location: Chicago, USA
• Start Date: Apr 22, 2017
• End Date: Apr 26, 2017
• Deposit Date: Sep 7, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 7, 2017
• Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy (DR); Diabetes; Hypoxia; Hyperglycaemia; Retinal explant
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/2495