RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The pathophysiological mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy (DR), a blinding disease, are intricate. DR was thought to be a microvascular disease previously. However, growing studies have indicated that the retinal microglia-induced inflammation precedes microangiopathy. The binary concept of microglial M1/M2 polarization paradigms during inflammatory activation has been debated. In this study, we confirmed microglia had the most significant changes in early DR using single-cell RNA sequencing. METHODS: A total of five retinal specimens were collected from donor SD rats. Changes in various cells of the retina at the early stage of DR were analyzed using single-cell sequencing technology. RESULTS: We defined three new microglial subtypes at cellular level, including two M1 types (Egr2+ M1 and Egr2- M1) and one M2 type. We also revealed the anatomical location between these subtypes, the dynamic changes of polarization phenotypes, and the possible activation sequence and mutual activation regulatory mechanism of different cells. Furthermore, we constructed an inflammatory network involving microglia, blood-derived macrophages and other retinal nonneuronal cells. The targeted study of new disease-specific microglial subtypes can shorten the time for drug screening and clinical application, which provided insight for the early control and reversal of DR. CONCLUSIONS: We found that microglia show the most obvious differential expression changes in early DR and reveal the changes in microglia in a high-glucose microenvironment at the single-cell level. Our comprehensive analysis will help achieve early reversal and control the occurrence and progression of DR.
RESUMO
AIM: To investigate the effects of hepatocyte growth factor gene transfected MSCs transplantation on cardiac function and fibrosis in rats heart failure model induced by adriamycin. METHODS: MSCs were isolated from SD rats by density gradient centrifugation, purified, and transfected with Ad-hHGF. ELISA were used to detect the protein expression of hHGF in these MSCs. Forty SD rats underwent intraperitoneal injection with adriamycin to induce heart failure model. 8 healthy rats served as control, 24 survival rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 8): Rats in Ad-hHGF transfected MSCs group were injected with Ad-hHGF transfected MSCs 2 weeks after the establishment of the model, rats in MSC group injected with suspension of MSCs only, and model group was injected with cold culture fluid. Heart function was evaluated by a physiological recorder 4 weeks after cell transplantation. Myocardial cell morphology and interstitial collagen were studied by electron microscope and were stained by Sirus red. TGF-beta1 was detected by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: (1) MSCs could be transfected efficiently by Ad-hHGF, manifested by a higher level of expression in vitro, persisting 14 days at least. (2) Four weeks after the cells transplantion, cardiac necrosis in MSC-hHGF rats was improved when compared with those in the MSCs (P < 0.05) and Model group (P < 0.01). The heart function of the MSC-hHGF rats was greatly improved with an significant increase in LVSP and + dp/dt(max), although LVEDP still highter than that of normal rats. (3) MSC-Ad-hHGF decreased Myocardial collagen content and the level of TGFbeta1 compaired with MSCs transplanted rats (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Transplantation of HGF gene transfected MSCs improved heart function, decreased myocardial collagen and the level of TGFbeta1.