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. 2020 Oct 16;12(10):3169. doi: 10.3390/nu12103169

Table 4.

Effects of flavones on cellular and molecular mechanisms affected by diabetic retinopathy.

Name of Substances/Compound Dose Model Observations Reference
Baicalein 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg orally administered for 24 weeks STZ-induced T1DM rats ↓ microglial activation and IL-18, TNF-α and IL-1β expression [81]
↓ GFAP and VEGF expression in Müller cells
↓ vascular abnormality and ganglion cell loss
75 mg/kg in drinking water Ins2Akita mice ↑ pSHP1 levels [83]
↓ HETE, ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and IL-6 levels
↓ ROS generation, and NOX2 expression
↓ pVEGF-R2 levels
Baicalin 2.5, 5, 10, 50 and 100 μM for 12 h High glucose-exposed ARPE-19 and HRMECs ↑ miR-145 levels [84]
↑ cell proliferation
↓ apoptosis
↓ IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 release and ROS levels
↓ NF-κB and p38 MAPK pathways
Scutellarin 0.1, 1, 10 or 100 nM; 0,1 or 1 μM for 48 h High glucose and hypoxia-mimetic agent-exposed HRECs ↓ cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation [90]
↓ VEGF levels
↓ HIF-1α protein and mRNA levels
↓ NADPH oxidase activity
20 and 50 μM for 6 h High glucose-exposed BV-2 cells ↓ NF-κB and TNF-α expression [89]
↓ microglia cell activation
↓ BRB damage
↓ ERK1/2 phosphorylation
20 and 50 μM for 6 h TNF-α-exposed HRECs and ARPE-19 cells ↑ claudin-1 and claudin-19 expression
↑ Nrf2 nuclear accumulation
↓ ROS formation and BRB damage
5 and 10 mg/kg intragastric administration for 1 month STZ-induced T1DM rats ↑ claudin-1 and claudin-19 expression
↓ microglia cell activation
↓ BRB breakdown
↓ ERK1/2 phosphorylation
Nepetin 2.5, 5 and 10 µM for 24 h IL-1β-exposed ARPE-19 cells ↓ IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1 levels [91]
↓ nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65
↓ phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B and IκB kinase
↓ phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK and p38 MAPK
Silybin 15 and 30 mg/kg orally administered for 22 weeks STZ and high-fat diet-induced T2DM rats ↓ obliterated retinal capillaries [92]
↓ leukostasis and ICAM-1 levels
Chrysin 1, 10 and 20 µM for 3 days Glucose-exposed RPE cells ↑ PEDF levels [93]
↓ VEGF and IGF-1 levels
↓ AGE secretion and RAGE induction
↓ ER stress
1, 10 and 20 µM for 3 days AGE-BSA-exposed RPE cells ↑ PEDF, RPE65, LRAT and RDH5 levels
↓ ER stress
10 mg/kg orally administered for 10 weeks db/db mice ↑ ONL thickness
↑ RPE65, LRAT, RDH5, CRBP, CRALBP, IRBP, STRA6 and rhodopsin levels
↓ AGE secretion and RAGE induction
↓ ER stress
Diosmin 100 mg/kg intragastric administration Retinal ischemia/reperfusion in rats ↑ SOD, GPx and CAT activities [97]
↑ retinal a- and b-wave amplitudes
↑ INL, IPL, ONL and total retinal thicknesses
↑ ganglion cells number
↓ edema
↓ MDA
↑ retinal a- and b-wave amplitudes [96]
↑ ZO-1 and occludin levels
↓ VEGF levels
↓ Evans blue leakage
0.1, 1 and 10 µg/mL High glucose-exposed ARPE-19 cells ↑ cell viability [98]
↑ Bcl-2/Bax
↓ capase-3 activity and cytochrome c release
↓ ROS levels
↓ JNK and p38 phosphorylation

AGE: advanced glycation end products, ARPE-19: human retinal pigment epithelial cell line, Bax: Bcl-2 associated X protein, Bcl-2: B cell lymphoma-2 protein, BRB: blood–retinal barrier, BSA: bovine serum albumin, CAT: catalase, CRALBP: cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein-1, CRBP: cellular retinol-binding protein, ER: endoplasmic reticulum, ERK1/2: extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2, GFAP: glial fibrillary acidic protein, GPx: glutathione peroxidase, HETE: hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids, HIF1-α: hypoxia inducible factor 1α, HRECs: human retinal endothelial cells, HRMECs: human retinal microvascular endothelial cells, ICAM-1: intercellular adhesion molecule 1, IGF-1: insulin-like growth factor-1, IκB kinase: inhibitor of κB kinase, IL-1β: interleukin-1β, IL-6: interleukin-6, IL-8: interleukin-8, IL-18: interleukin-18, INL: inner nuclear layer, Ins2Akita, genetic animal model of T!DM, IPL: inner plexiform layer, IRBP: interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein, JNK: c-Jun N-terminal kinases, LRAT: lecithin retinol acyltransferase, MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase, MCP-1: monocyte chemoattractant protein, MDA: malondialdehyde, miR-145, microRNA-145, NADPH: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, NF-κB: nuclear factor kappa-B, NF-κB p65: NF-κB p65 subunit, Nox2: NADPH oxidase 2, Nrf2: nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2, ONL: outer nuclear layer, PEDF: pigment epithelium-derived factor, pVEGF-R2, phosphorylated VEGF receptor 2, RAGE: AGE receptor, RDH5: retinol dehydrogenase 5, ROS: reactive oxygen species, RPE: retinal pigment epithelium, SOD: superoxide dismutase, STRA6: stimulated by retinoic acid 6, STZ: streptozotocin, T1DM: type 1 diabetes mellitus, T2DM: type 2 diabetes mellitus TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor alfa, VCAM-1: vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor, ZO-1: zonula occludens-1, ↑: increase, ↓ decrease.