Neutrophils might link intestinal damage to retinopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with retinopathy, which can cause vision loss. A new study suggests that damage to the intestinal lining caused by neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) might promote retinopathy in people with T2DM by releasing antigens from the gut into the blood and causing systemic inflammation.

The researchers then investigated whether inhibiting NETosis (NET release) could reduce intestinal injury and retinal damage in db/db mice, which are genetically engineered to have T2DM. The team pharmacologically inhibited NETosis in one group of these mice and gave a control group saline alone as a vehicle control. Next, the scientists administered fluorescent dextran to the mice via oral gavage, then measured how much leaked from the small intestine into the plasma. Transgenic mice that had received the NETosis inhibitor showed considerably lower intestinal permeability than control mice. There was also slightly less retinal damage in the mice that had been treated with the inhibitor than in the control mice.