Animal Models of Diabetic Retinopathy

Abstract

Purpose of ReviewDiabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common complications associated with chronic hyperglycemia seen in patients with diabetes mellitus. While many facets of DR are still not fully understood, animal studies have contributed significantly to understanding the etiology and progression of human DR. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of the induced and genetic DR models in different species and the advantages and disadvantages of each model.Recent FindingsRodents are the most commonly used models, though dogs develop the most similar morphological retinal lesions as those seen in humans, and pigs and zebrafish have similar vasculature and retinal structures to humans. Nonhuman primates can also develop diabetes mellitus spontaneously or have focal lesions induced to simulate retinal neovascular disease observed in individuals with DR.SummaryDR results in vascular changes and dysfunction of the neural, glial, and pancreatic β cells. Currently, no model completely recapitulates the full pathophysiology of neuronal and vascular changes that occur at each stage of diabetic retinopathy; however, each model recapitulates many of the disease phenotypes.

Caffeic Acid Alkyl Amide Derivatives Ameliorate Oxidative Stress and Modulate ERK1/2 and AKT Signaling Pathways in a Rat Model of Diabetic Retinopathy

“…Neurodegenerative processes seem to be the most important mechanisms of retinopathy in the early stages of DM. Indeed, some studies have shown that retinal neuropathy, but not vasculopathy, begin in diabetic animals during the first months of diabetes . In this context, hyperglycemia‐induced oxidative stress as well as loss of insulin‐mediated neuroprotection, damages of glutamate, and neuroinflammatory cytokines accumulation are the underlying mechanism of retinal neurodegeneration.…”

Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor expression in the human eye

“…A publication using db/db mice has indicated GLP‐1RAs may confer neuroprotection in DR . As animal models should always be interpreted with caution, it is likely that studies in other animal models reflecting other aspects of DR would be needed for a full understanding of the potential of GLP‐1RAs in DR . A DR outcome study in patients with type 2 diabetes will be conducted with semaglutide.…”

The microenvironment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy supports lymphatic neovascularization

“…The development of new treatment strategies requires systematic mechanistic and functional studies on vascular cells in the context of three‐dimensional (3D) microenvironments, including relevant cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions . Although numerous useful animal models of diabetes and oxygen depletion‐induced or pericyte depletion‐induced retinopathy have been developed, they provide limited information regarding the proliferative neovascular tissue formation and properties in human PDR . Therefore, a better understanding of PDR pathogenesis and the discovery of improved and tailored treatments rely on the development of new translational models to be combined with the mouse and cell models, and clinical data analysis.…”