NADPH Oxidase 4-Derived H2O2 Promotes Aberrant Retinal Neovascularization via Activation of VEGF Receptor 2 Pathway in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy

NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) is a major isoform of NADPH oxidase in retinal endothelial cells. Our previous study suggests that upregulation of Nox4 in retinal endothelial cells contributes to retinal vascular leakage in diabetes. In the current study, we investigated the role and mechanism of Nox4 in reg...

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Main Authors: Jingming Li, Joshua J. Wang, Sarah X. Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Journal of Diabetes Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/963289
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author Jingming Li
Joshua J. Wang
Sarah X. Zhang
author_facet Jingming Li
Joshua J. Wang
Sarah X. Zhang
author_sort Jingming Li
collection DOAJ
description NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) is a major isoform of NADPH oxidase in retinal endothelial cells. Our previous study suggests that upregulation of Nox4 in retinal endothelial cells contributes to retinal vascular leakage in diabetes. In the current study, we investigated the role and mechanism of Nox4 in regulation of retinal neovascularization (NV), a hallmark of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), using a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). Our results confirmed that Nox4 was expressed predominantly in retinal vasculature of mouse retina. Retinal expression of Nox4 was markedly increased in OIR, in parallel with enhanced phosphorylation of ERK. In human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRECs), overexpression of Nox4 by adenovirus significantly increased extracellular H2O2 generation, resulting in intensified VEGFR2 activation and exacerbated angiogenesis upon VEGF stimulation. In contrast, silencing Nox4 expression or scavenging H2O2 by polyethylene glycol- (PEG-) conjugated catalase inhibited endothelial migration, tube formation, and VEGF-induced activation of VEGFR2 signaling. Importantly, knockdown of retinal Nox4 by adenovirus-delivered siRNA significantly reduced ERK activation and attenuated retinal NV formation in OIR. Taken together, our data indicate that Nox4 promotes retinal NV formation through H2O2/VEGFR2/ERK signaling pathway. Reducing retinal Nox4 expression may represent a promising therapeutic approach for neovascular retinal diseases such as PDR.
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spelling doaj-art-539fc034c8ba4af48c59cd4b98ce1cfd2025-08-20T02:05:32ZengWileyJournal of Diabetes Research2314-67452314-67532015-01-01201510.1155/2015/963289963289NADPH Oxidase 4-Derived H2O2 Promotes Aberrant Retinal Neovascularization via Activation of VEGF Receptor 2 Pathway in Oxygen-Induced RetinopathyJingming Li0Joshua J. Wang1Sarah X. Zhang2The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, 277 West Yanta Road, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, ChinaDepartment of Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 941 Stanton L. Young Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USADepartment of Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 941 Stanton L. Young Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USANADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) is a major isoform of NADPH oxidase in retinal endothelial cells. Our previous study suggests that upregulation of Nox4 in retinal endothelial cells contributes to retinal vascular leakage in diabetes. In the current study, we investigated the role and mechanism of Nox4 in regulation of retinal neovascularization (NV), a hallmark of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), using a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). Our results confirmed that Nox4 was expressed predominantly in retinal vasculature of mouse retina. Retinal expression of Nox4 was markedly increased in OIR, in parallel with enhanced phosphorylation of ERK. In human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRECs), overexpression of Nox4 by adenovirus significantly increased extracellular H2O2 generation, resulting in intensified VEGFR2 activation and exacerbated angiogenesis upon VEGF stimulation. In contrast, silencing Nox4 expression or scavenging H2O2 by polyethylene glycol- (PEG-) conjugated catalase inhibited endothelial migration, tube formation, and VEGF-induced activation of VEGFR2 signaling. Importantly, knockdown of retinal Nox4 by adenovirus-delivered siRNA significantly reduced ERK activation and attenuated retinal NV formation in OIR. Taken together, our data indicate that Nox4 promotes retinal NV formation through H2O2/VEGFR2/ERK signaling pathway. Reducing retinal Nox4 expression may represent a promising therapeutic approach for neovascular retinal diseases such as PDR.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/963289
spellingShingle Jingming Li
Joshua J. Wang
Sarah X. Zhang
NADPH Oxidase 4-Derived H2O2 Promotes Aberrant Retinal Neovascularization via Activation of VEGF Receptor 2 Pathway in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy
Journal of Diabetes Research
title NADPH Oxidase 4-Derived H2O2 Promotes Aberrant Retinal Neovascularization via Activation of VEGF Receptor 2 Pathway in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy
title_full NADPH Oxidase 4-Derived H2O2 Promotes Aberrant Retinal Neovascularization via Activation of VEGF Receptor 2 Pathway in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy
title_fullStr NADPH Oxidase 4-Derived H2O2 Promotes Aberrant Retinal Neovascularization via Activation of VEGF Receptor 2 Pathway in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy
title_full_unstemmed NADPH Oxidase 4-Derived H2O2 Promotes Aberrant Retinal Neovascularization via Activation of VEGF Receptor 2 Pathway in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy
title_short NADPH Oxidase 4-Derived H2O2 Promotes Aberrant Retinal Neovascularization via Activation of VEGF Receptor 2 Pathway in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy
title_sort nadph oxidase 4 derived h2o2 promotes aberrant retinal neovascularization via activation of vegf receptor 2 pathway in oxygen induced retinopathy
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/963289
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