Diabetes mellitus is a disease that is predicted to affect approximately 250 million people by the year 2030 and is commonly associated with symptoms such as excessive urination, neuropathies, compromised immune system, and vision loss. Diabetic Retinopathy is the diabetes complication that causes vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy has affected approximately 100 million people in 2010 and is expected to increase to over 190 million people by 2030. Patients with diabetes have been found to have higher concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in their aqueous humor. In the presence of VEGF tight junction proteins that link the endothelial cells of the blood-retinal barrier are phosphorylated. This phosphorylation signals the endocytosis of tight junction proteins and the subsequent disassembly of these junctions thus increasing the permeability of the barrier. Zonula occluden-1 is one of the proteins that is phosphorylated through this signaling pathway and is associated with the tight junction disassembly. It is hypothesized that it is the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway that is being activated by VEGF which results in the phosphorylation of zonula occluden-1. This hypothesis will be tested by studying the effects of a growth factor that is similar to VEGF on the phosphorylation of zonula occluden-1 in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. The MDCK cells will be treated with growth factor and a MAPK inhibitor. It is expected that decreased phosphorylation of zonula occluden-1 will occur when MAPK is inhibited.

Analysis of the biochemical pathway responsible for diabetic retinopathy

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