Receptor mediated disruption of retinal pigment epithelium function in acute glycated-albumin exposure.

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a major cause of visual impairment. Although DME is generally believed to be a microvascular disease, dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) can also contribute to its development. Advanced glycation end-products (AGE) are thought to be one of the key factors involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes in the eye, and we have previously demonstrated a rapid breakdown of RPE function following glycated-albumin (Glyc-alb, a common AGE mimetic) administration in monolayer cultures of fetal human RPE cells. Here we present new evidence that this response is attributed to apically oriented AGE receptors (RAGE). Moreover, time-lapse optical coherence tomography in Dutch-belted rabbits 48 h post intravitreal Glyc-alb injections demonstrated a significant decrease in RPE-mediated fluid resorption in vivo. In both the animal and tissue culture models, the response to Glyc-alb was blocked by the relatively selective RAGE antagonist, FPS-ZM1 and was also inhibited by ZM323881, a relatively selective vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGF-R2) antagonist. Our data establish that the Glyc-alb-induced breakdown of RPE function is mediated via specific RAGE and VEGF-R2 signaling both in vitro and in vivo. These results are consistent with the notion that the RPE is a key player in the pathogenesis of DME.

Modulation of angiotensin II-mediated cardiac remodeling by the MEF2A target gene Xirp2.

RATIONALE: The vasoactive peptide angiotensin II (Ang II) is a potent cardiotoxic hormone whose actions have been well studied, yet questions remain pertaining to the downstream factors that mediate its effects in cardiomyocytes. OBJECTIVE: The in vivo role of the myocyte enhancer factor (MEF)2A target gene Xirp2 in Ang II-mediated cardiac remodeling was investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Here we demonstrate that the MEF2A target gene Xirp2 (also known as cardiomyopathy associated gene 3 [CMYA3]) is an important effector of the Ang II signaling pathway in the heart. Xirp2 belongs to the evolutionarily conserved, muscle-specific, actin-binding Xin gene family and is significantly induced in the heart in response to systemic administration of Ang II. Initially, we characterized the Xirp2 promoter and demonstrate that Ang II activates Xirp2 expression by stimulating MEF2A transcriptional activity. To further characterize the role of Xirp2 downstream of Ang II signaling we generated mice harboring a hypomorphic allele of the Xirp2 gene that resulted in a marked reduction in its expression in the heart. In the absence of Ang II, adult Xirp2 hypomorphic mice displayed cardiac hypertrophy and increased beta myosin heavy chain expression. Strikingly, Xirp2 hypomorphic mice chronically infused with Ang II exhibited altered pathological cardiac remodeling including an attenuated hypertrophic response, as well as diminished fibrosis and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal a novel MEF2A-Xirp2 pathway that functions downstream of Ang II signaling to modulate its pathological effects in the heart.

Progressive Early Breakdown of Retinal Pigment Epithelium Function in Hyperglycemic Rats.

PURPOSE: Diabetic macular edema (DME), an accumulation of fluid in the subretinal space, is a significant cause of vision loss. The impact of diabetes on the breakdown of the inner blood-retina barrier (BRB) is an established event that leads to DME. However, the role of the outer BRB in ocular diabetes has received limited attention. We present evidence that the breakdown of normal RPE function in hyperglycemia facilitates conditions conducive to DME pathogenesis. METHODS: Brown Norway rats (130-150 g) were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin (STZ; 60 mg/kg) to induce hyperglycemia. After 4 weeks, Evans blue (EB) dye was injected intravenously to determine whether there was leakage of albumin into the retina. Subretinal saline blebs (0.5-1 µL) were placed 4 and 9 weeks after STZ injection, and time-lapse optical coherence tomography tracked the resorption rate. In a subset of rats, intravitreal bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeted to VEGF, was given at 5 weeks and resorption was measured at 9 weeks. RESULTS: The ability of the RPE to transport fluid was reduced significantly after 4 and 9 weeks of hyperglycemia with a reduction of over 67% at 9 weeks. No EB dye leakage from inner retinal vessels was measured in hyperglycemic animals compared to control. The intravitreal administration of bevacizumab at week 5 significantly increased the rate of fluid transport in rats subjected to hyperglycemia for 9 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that chronic hyperglycemia altered RPE fluid transport, in part dependent on the actions of VEGF. These results support the idea that RPE dysfunction is an early event associated with hyperglycemia that contributes to fluid accumulation in DME.

Efferocytosis is an innate antibacterial mechanism.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis persists within macrophages in an arrested phagosome and depends upon necrosis to elude immunity and disseminate. Although apoptosis of M. tuberculosis-infected macrophages is associated with reduced bacterial growth, the bacteria are relatively resistant to other forms of death, leaving the mechanism underlying this observation unresolved. We find that after apoptosis, M. tuberculosis-infected macrophages are rapidly taken up by uninfected macrophages through efferocytosis, a dedicated apoptotic cell engulfment process. Efferocytosis of M. tuberculosis sequestered within an apoptotic macrophage further compartmentalizes the bacterium and delivers it along with the apoptotic cell debris to the lysosomal compartment. M. tuberculosis is killed only after efferocytosis, indicating that apoptosis itself is not intrinsically bactericidal but requires subsequent phagocytic uptake and lysosomal fusion of the apoptotic body harboring the bacterium. While efferocytosis is recognized as a constitutive housekeeping function of macrophages, these data indicate that it can also function as an antimicrobial effector mechanism.