Abstract
Purpose :
Exosomes are well established as cargo-delivering vehicles between cells. The effect of Muller cell-derived exosomes on endothelial cells vitality under normal and hyperglycemic conditions as an in vitro model of diabetic retinopathy (DR).
Methods :
Muller (rMC-1) cell-derived exosomes were isolated from media under normal (5 mM D-glucose) and high glucose (30 mM D-glucose) conditions. Western blotting using exosome-specific antibody CD63, nanoparticle tracking for size and concentration, and electron microscopy were performed for confirmation and characterization of exosomes. The uptake of Muller-derived exosomes by the endothelial cells was monitored by labeling exosomes with the membrane labeling dye PKH67. Human Retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) vitality was evaluated after treatment by exosomes isolated under normal and hyperglycemic conditions for vitality and proliferation using an MTT assay and cell death markers.
Results :
Analysis of the isolated exosomes showed a significant increase in the size and non-significant change in the number of exosomes isolated from high glucose-treated muller cells compared to normal glucose-treated muller cells. Treatment of HRECS with exosomes isolated from muller cells with high glucose treated media showed less viability than HRECs treated with normal glucose muller cells’ derived exosomes.
Conclusions :
Muller cell-derived exosomes play an important role in retinal endothelial pathological changes associated with hyperglycemic conditions. More awareness of the role of exosomes may help in understanding different retinal cells inter-talk during DR and may represent a future therapeutic target for DR.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.