Diabetes-Induced Superoxide Anion and Breakdown of the Blood-Retinal Barrier: Role of the VEGF/uPAR Pathway
Figure 5
High glucose-induced nuclear translocation of
β-catenin. Endothelial cells were grown in serum-free medium with normal glucose (NG, 5.5mM) or high glucose (HG, 25 mM) for 3 days, fixed and processed for immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy or used for cell fractionation. Confocal imaging of NG cultures using anti β-catenin antibody (green) and propidium iodide nuclear staining (red) shows membrane bound β-catenin (arrows) (A). Following high glucose treatment β-catenin was redistributed into the cytosol (arrowheads) and nucleus (as shown in z-series optical slices above and at left) (B). Western blotting showed increased cytoplasmic and nuclear β-catenin following HG treatment (C). Densitomitric analysis showed significant increases in cytosolic and nuclear β-catenin levels following HG or VEGF treatment (D) (* = P < 0.05 vs Control). Gray bars represent cytosolic β-catenin. Black bars represent nuclear β-catenin.