Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress act in concert to promote neurodegeneration in the diabetic retina and optic nerve: galectin-3 participation

• Published in: Neural regeneration research Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 625 - 635
• Main Authors: Mendonca, Henrique, Carpi-Santos, Raul, da Costa Calaza, Karin, Blanco Martinez, Ana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.04.2020; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Laboratório de Neurodegenera??o e Reparo, Departamento de Patologia, Programa de Pós-gradua??o em Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Medicina, Hospital Universitrio Clementino Fraga Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Pólo Universitário Macaé, Unidade Integrada de Pesquisa em Produtos Bioativos e Biociências, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, Brazil; Laboratório Integrado de Morfologia, Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade, Núcleo de Pesquisas Ecológicas de Macaé, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, Brazil%Laboratório de Neurobiologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil%Laboratório de Neurobiologia da Retina, Departamento de Neurobiologia, Programa de Pós-Gradua??o em Neurociências, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Brazil%Laboratório de Neurodegenera??o e Reparo, Departamento de Patologia, Programa de Pós-gradua??o em Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Medicina, Hospital Universitrio Clementino Fraga Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Diabetes; diabetes; diabetic retinopathy; galectin-3; neurodegeneration; neuroinflammation; optic nerve; oxidative stress; retina; Diabetic retinopathy; Hyperglycemia; Hypotheses; Neurodegeneration; Optic nerve; Optics; Oxidative stress; Reactive oxygen species; Retina; Review; neuroinflammation; retina; neurodegeneration; diabetic retinopathy; diabetes; galectin-3; optic nerve; oxidative stress
• ISSN: 1673-5374; 1876-7958
• DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.266910

Diabetes is a lifelong disease characterized by glucose metabolic imbalance, in which low insulin levels or impaired insulin signaling lead to hyperglycemic state. Within 20 years of diabetes progression, 95% of patients will have diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of visual defects in working-age people worldwide. Although diabetes is considered a microvascular disease, recent studies have shown that neurodegeneration precedes vascular changes within the diabetic visual system, albeit its mechanisms are still under investigation. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are intrinsically related phenomena, since macrophage/microglia and astrocytes are the main sources of reactive oxygen species during central nervous system chronic degenerative diseases, and both pathological processes are increased in the visual system during diabetes. The present review will focus on recent findings of the contribution of oxidative stress derived from neuroinflammation in the early neurodegenerative aspects of the diabetic visual system and their relationship with galectin-3.