The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor sitagliptin ameliorates retinal endothelial cell dysfunction triggered by inflammation.

The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor sitagliptin ameliorates retinal endothelial cell dysfunction triggered by inflammation. Biomed Pharmacother. 2018 Mar 29;102:833-838 Authors: Gonçalves A, Almeida L, Silva AP, Fontes-Ribeiro C, Ambrósio AF, Cristóvão A, Fernandes R Abstract Diabetic retinopathy is considered a low-grade chronic inflammatory disease and several inflammatory molecules, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, are known to play a major role in the degeneration of retinal capillaries. Previous studies have reported that sitagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor, prevents the increase in blood-retinal barrier (BRB) permeability and inhibits the tight junction disassembly induced by diabetes. AIM: Our goal was to investigate whether sitagliptin is able to prevent retinal endothelial cells (EC) dysfunction triggered by the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α. MAIN METHODS: The effects of TNF-α and/or sitagliptin on primary cultures of bovine retinal EC were tested. The EC monolayer permeability was analyzed by using 70 kDa rhodamine isothiocyanate (RITC) dextran. The cellular distribution profile of claudin-5 was examined by immunofluorescence staining, and DPP-4 activity was evaluated by using a fluorogenic substrate. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay, and cell proliferation by the BrdU incorporation assay. Retinal EC migration and angiogenesis were evaluated by a scratch assay and a capillary t...
Source: Biomedicine and pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine and pharmacotherapie - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Biomed Pharmacother Source Type: research