Effect of diabetes on glycogen metabolism in rat retina.

Glucose is the main fuel for energy metabolism in retina. The regulatory mechanisms that maintain glucose homeostasis in retina could include hormonal action. Retinopathy is one of the chemical manifestations of long-standing diabetes mellitus. In order to better understand the effect of hyperglycemia in retina, we studied glycogen content as well as glycogen synthase and phosphorylase activities in both normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat retina and compared them with other tissues. Glycogen levels in normal rat retina are low (46 +/- 4.0 nmol glucosyl residues/mg protein). However, high specific activity of glycogen synthase was found in retina, indicating a substantial capacity for glycogen synthesis. In diabetic rats, glycogen synthase activity increased between 50% and 100% in retina, brain cortex and liver of diabetic rats, but only retina exhibited an increase in glycogen content. Although, total and phosphorylated glycogen synthase levels were similar in normal and diabetic retina, activation of glycogen synthase by glucose-6-P was remarkable increased. Glycogen phosphorylase activity decreased 50% in the liver of diabetic animals; it was not modified in the other tissues examined. We conclude that the increase in glycogen levels in diabetic retina was due to alterations in glycogen synthase regulation.

Glucose metabolism in rat retinal pigment epithelium.

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is the major transport pathway for exchange of metabolites and ions between choroidal blood supply and the neural retina. To gain insight into the mechanisms controlling glucose metabolism in RPE and its possible relationship to retinopathy, we studied the influence of different glucose concentrations on glycogen and lactate levels and CO(2) production in RPE from normal and streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats. Incubation of normal RPE in the absence of glucose caused a decrease in lactate production and glycogen content. In normal RPE, increasing glucose concentrations from 5.6 mM to 30 mM caused a four-fold increase in glucose accumulation and CO(2) yield, as well as reduction in lactate and glycogen production. In RPE from diabetic rats glucose accumulation did not increase in the presence of high glucose substrate, but it showed a four- and a seven-fold increase in CO(2) production through the mitochondrial and pentose phosphate pathways, respectively. We found high glycogen levels in RPE which can be used as an energy reserve for RPE itself and/or neural retina. Findings further show that the RPE possesses a high oxidative capacity. The large increase in glucose shunting to the pentose phosphate pathway in diabetic retina exposed to high glucose suggests a need for reducing capacity, consistent with increased oxidative stress.

Glycogen metabolism in the rat retina.

It has been reported that glycogen levels in retina vary with retinal vascularization. However, the electrical activity of isolated retina depends on glucose supply, suggesting that it does not contain energetic reserves. We determined glycogen levels and pyruvate and lactate production under various conditions in isolated retina. Ex vivo retinas from light- and dark-adapted rats showed values of 44 +/- 0.3 and 19.5 +/- 0.4 nmol glucosyl residues/mg protein, respectively. The glycogen content of retinas from light-adapted animals was reduced by 50% when they were transferred to darkness. Glycogen levels were low in retinas incubated in glucose-free media and increased in the presence of glucose. The highest glycogen values were found in media containing 20 mm of glucose. A rapid increase in lactate production was observed in the presence of glucose. Surprisingly, glycogen levels were the lowest and lactate production was also very low in the presence of 30 mm glucose. Our results suggest that glycogen can be used as an immediate accessible energy reserve in retina. We speculate on the possibility that gluconeogenesis may play a protective role by removal of lactic acid.