Objective: This study analyzed how high glucose affects CSF1R and p-ERK1/2 expression in RF/6A cells.
Methods: The cells were cultured as high glucose (HG) and normal control (C) groups, and CSF1R shRNA was introduced. Real time PCR was used to detect the expression of CSF1R and p-ERK1/2 mRNA. Western blot was used to detect the expression of CSF1R and p-ERK1/2 proteins. Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8) method was used to detect cell proliferation, while flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis in HREC.
Results: Real-time PCR showed significantly raised CSF1R mRNA expression in HG. CSF1R inhibition lowered HG + LV shCSF1R CSF1R mRNA levels. Western blotting revealed higher CSF1R and p-ERK1/2 protein expression in HG than in C. Their expression level dropped after CSF1R inhibition. The number of tube-forming cells was higher in HG than in C, which reduced after CSF1R suppression. Inhibiting CSF1R also decreased cell proliferation and raised apoptosis.
Conclusion: Overall, under high glucose, CSF1R and p-ERK1/2 were highly expressed, leading to reduced cellular activity, and CSF1R inhibition helped alleviate this effect.
Keywords: Colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor; diabetic retinopathy; high glucose conditions; phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2; retinal neovascularization.