Abstract:

Objective To investigate the effects of β-elemene on the retina of proliferative diabetic retinopathy in rats. Design Experimental study. Participants 30 GK rats, 6 weeks old，males. Methods 30 GK rats were randomly divided into control group of 10 rats, model group of 10 rats, and elemene group of 10 rats. The rats of control group were feeded under normal atmospheric environment; the proliferative diabetic retinopathy model were established in the rats of model group and β-elemene group, and the rats of β-elemene group were given β-elemene 1 μl intravitreal injection after the establishment of model. The peak latency of wave a in ERG, the number of new blood vessels and the area of no perfusion area at 6 weeks after treatment were measured and recorded, and the levels of TGF-β 1 and Fn protein were detected and recorded. Main Outcome Measures The peak latency of wave a in ERG, the number of new blood vessels and the area of no perfusion area, and the levels of TGF-β 1 and Fn protein. Results The proliferative diabetic retinopathy models were all successfully established in the model group and the β-elemene group. The a wave latency in the control group, model group and β-elemene group was (19.44±1.59)ms, (23.40±1.42)ms and (21.49±1.94)ms, respectively, and the a wave amplitude was (225.20±66.23)Uv, (217.30±45.10)Uv and (233.10±54.01)Uv, respectively (all P<0.05). The retinal neovascularization hours in the control group, model group and β-elemene group as 8.01±1.24, 3.67±0.82 and 6.14±1.11, and the non perfusion area was (0.30±0.11)cm3, (3.09±0.44)cm3 and (0.29±0.13)cm3 (all P<0.05). Western blot analysis showed that the expression levels of Fn and TGF-β1 in the model group and β-elemene group were significantly lower than those in control group (P<0.05), and the expression levels in the β-elemene group were significantly higher than that of model group (P=0.000, 0.000). Conclusion β-elemene can improve the  retinopathy of proliferative diabetic retinopathy rats, inhibiting the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells and angiogenesis, and it can improve the electrophysiological injury.

Key words: β-elemene, diabetic retinopathy, electrophysiology, neovascularization