The retina: oxidative stress and diabetes

TY - JOUR

T1 - The retina

T2 - oxidative stress and diabetes

AU - van Reyk, David M

AU - Gillies, Mark C

AU - Davies, Michael Jonathan

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - A prominent and early feature of the retinopathy of diabetes mellitus is a diffuse increase in vascular permeability. As the disease develops, the development of frank macular oedema may result in vision loss. That reactive oxygen species production is likely to be elevated in the retina, and that certain regions of the retina are enriched in substrates for lipid peroxidation, may create an environment susceptible to oxidative damage. This may be more so in the diabetic retina, where hyperglycaemia may lead to elevated oxidant production by a number of mechanisms, including the production of oxidants by vascular endothelium and leukocytes. There is substantial evidence from animal and clinical studies for both impaired antioxidant defences and increased oxidative damage in the retinae of diabetic subjects that have been, in the case of animal studies, reversible with antioxidant supplementation. Whether oxidative damage has a causative role in the pathology of diabetic retinopathy, and thus whether antioxidants can prevent or correct any retinal damage, has not been established, nor has the specific nature of any damaging species been characterised.

AB - A prominent and early feature of the retinopathy of diabetes mellitus is a diffuse increase in vascular permeability. As the disease develops, the development of frank macular oedema may result in vision loss. That reactive oxygen species production is likely to be elevated in the retina, and that certain regions of the retina are enriched in substrates for lipid peroxidation, may create an environment susceptible to oxidative damage. This may be more so in the diabetic retina, where hyperglycaemia may lead to elevated oxidant production by a number of mechanisms, including the production of oxidants by vascular endothelium and leukocytes. There is substantial evidence from animal and clinical studies for both impaired antioxidant defences and increased oxidative damage in the retinae of diabetic subjects that have been, in the case of animal studies, reversible with antioxidant supplementation. Whether oxidative damage has a causative role in the pathology of diabetic retinopathy, and thus whether antioxidants can prevent or correct any retinal damage, has not been established, nor has the specific nature of any damaging species been characterised.

KW - Animals

KW - Antioxidants

KW - Diabetes Mellitus

KW - Diabetic Retinopathy

KW - Glucose

KW - Humans

KW - Oxidants

KW - Oxidative Stress

KW - Reactive Oxygen Species

U2 - 10.1179/135100003225002673

DO - 10.1179/135100003225002673

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 14599341

SN - 1351-0002

VL - 8

SP - 187

EP - 192

JO - Redox Report

JF - Redox Report

IS - 4

ER -