Abstract:

Diabetes mellitus seriously affects retinal microcirculation, which causes a series of pathological changes of tissue structure. These changes may eventually lead to abnormal proliferation of endothelial cells, the changes of vascular permeability and abnormal formation of retinal blood vessels, which cause the loss of vision. This review describes the effects of high blood glucose on retinal microvascular system, and the damage effect caused by high blood glucose from the perspectives of cell function and molecular biology. High blood glucose can impair retinal vascular cells by affecting cell junctions, inducing apoptosis, changing the interactions between cells and so on. This study will provide a new insight into understanding the molecular and cellular defects in the development of diabetic retinopathy.   (Int Rev Ophthalmol,  2016,  40:     98-103)