“…42,43 Repeated injections of high concentrations of VEGF in eyes of nondiabetic monkeys provoke retinal changes that resemble those observed in the early stages of DR, including vascular tortuosity and microaneurysms. 44,45 Clinical trials using anti-VEGF therapies are showing promising results against advanced stages of DR. 46,47 Thus, without excluding the activation of other transduction pathways associated with retinal IPC, such as adenosine, K ATP channels, protein kinase C, 12,48 -49 and NO, 50 among others, and based on the fact that ischemia pulses abrogated the increase in VEGF, it is tempting to speculate that the induction of ischemic conditioning could behave as an anti-VEGF therapy. In fact, it was shown that injection of VEGF into healthy eyes of animals can induce diabetes-associated ocular diseases.…”