Effect of Tear Derived Exosomes on Corneal Epithelial Cells During Diabetic Keraropathy

Abstract

Background: As reliable intercellular transporters, exosomes for the diagnosis and function of various disease are fully explored. Also, exosomes extracted from tear film have been used as indictors for various eye disease, even systemic disease due to the easy and non-invasive collection nature with microRNAs variation. However, there still no reports focus the change and function of on exosomes and exosomal microRNAs during diabetes ocular dysfunction.Methods: Paired diabetes and health tear film-derived exosomes were collected by test strips and identified according standard regimens. Different expression microRNAs were profiled by microarray. The function of exosomes to cornea epithelium was detected by cornea wound model in vivo and cell viability and migration assay in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis, including GO and KEGG were conducted to explore the potential biological signaling pathway.Results: We confirmed diabetic tear film derived exosomes contribute to delay cornea wound healing and aggravate diabetic dry eye-like syndrome. Total 12 differential expression microRNAs were confirmed compared with paired controls, may participate in glycosphingolipid biosynthesis; mucin type O-Glycan biosynthesis; Ras signaling pathway; AMPK signaling pathway; bacterial invasion of epithelial cells; ErbB signaling pathway; cGMP-PKG signaling pathwayConclusion: This study provides evidence that diabetic tear film derived exosomes can affect the ocular surface health during diabetes, while healthy exosomes have no similar effects. Thus, the different expression of microRNAs existed in the exosomes from diabetes and healthy volunteer may be the reason of different function.