TPTEP1 suppresses high glucose-induced dysfunction in retinal vascular endothelial cells by interacting with STAT3 and targeting VEGFA

Acta Diabetologica (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Aims

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a vascular complication of diabetes mellitus that causes visual impairment and blindness. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been revealed to be involved in biological processes of several diseases including DR. We designed this study to investigate the specific role of TPTEP1 in DR.

Methods

First, we mimicked diabetic conditions with high glucose (HG) stimulation of human retinal vascular endothelial cells (HRVECs) and measured TPTEP1 expression in HG-stimulated HRVECs using RT-qPCR analysis. Then, CCK-8, Transwell, and Matrigel tube formation assays as well as western blot analysis were performed to reveal the biological functions of TPTEP1 in HG-stimulated HRVECs. Subsequently, bioinformatics analysis, RNA pull down, luciferase reporter and ChIP assays as well as western blot analysis evaluated the relationship of TPTEP1, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in HG-stimulated HRVECs. Finally, to verify the regulation of the TPTEP1/STAT3/VEGFA axis in HG-stimulated HRVECs, rescue experiments were carried out in HG-stimulated HRVECs.

Results

TPTEP1 presented a significant downregulation in HG-stimulated HRVECs. Additionally, TPTEP1 overexpression reduced viability, migration, and angiogenesis in HG-stimulated HRVECs. Moreover, TPTEP1 suppressed phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3, and thereby downregulated VEGFA mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, TPTEP1 overexpression-mediated suppression of HG-induced dysfunction in HRVECs was countervailed by STAT3 upregulation or VEGFA upregulation.

Conclusions

TPTEP1 alleviated HG-induced dysfunction in HRVECs via interacting with STAT3 and targeting VEGFA.

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Acknowledgements

Thank you for all laboratory members involved in this study.

Funding

This work supported by Clinical Specialized Discipline of Health System of Putuo District in Shanghai (No. 2020TSZK01).

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated To Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China

    Xiaoping Sun

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Henan Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Affiliated of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450053, Henan, China

    Yuebing Lu

  3. Department of Endocrinology, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 164, Lanxi Road, Shanghai, 200062, China

    Tao Lei

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  1. Xiaoping Sun
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  2. Yuebing Lu
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  3. Tao Lei
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Correspondence to Tao Lei.

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This article belongs to the topical collection Eye Complications of Diabetes, managed by Giuseppe Querques.

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Sun, X., Lu, Y. & Lei, T. TPTEP1 suppresses high glucose-induced dysfunction in retinal vascular endothelial cells by interacting with STAT3 and targeting VEGFA. Acta Diabetol (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-020-01663-w

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Keywords

  • Diabetic retinopathy
  • Hrvecs
  • TPTEP1
  • STAT3
  • VEGFA