Oxytocin Mitigates VEGF Expression in Differentiated RPE cells – A Novel Therapeutic Approach for Diabetic Retinopathy
Daira Yepez,
Cristian Mercado,
Gabriel Ordonez,
Laura Valdez,
Khalid Benamar,
Andrew Tsin
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision loss, driven largely by vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF)-induced neovascularization and vascular permeability. Current therapies rely on
intravitreal anti-VEGF injections that mitigate VEGF action, but they require repeated administration, can
cause complications, and are ineffective in some patients. Oxytocin (OXT), a neuropeptide best known for
reproductive and social roles, has recently been implicated in metabolic regulation and vascular signaling.
Evidence from animal models suggests that OXT may reduce VEGF expression in the retina. However,
the underlying molecular mechanism is not known. The present study seeks to investigate the cellular
and molecular bases of this VEGF inhibition by OXT. Results from our experiments revealed that OXT
significantly reduced VEGF secretion by ARPE-19 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Together
with in-vivo studies on OXT and VEGF reduction in animal models, our results support the suggestion that
OXT is a candidate for upstream therapeutic intervention of DR at an early stage of disease development.
