Hyperglycemic Memory – New insights into a thought to be known topic

Hyperglycemic memory is part of the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. We established a novel mouse model of intermediate-term hyperglycemic memory and demonstrated that changes in gene expression and microvascular damage in the neurovascular unit of the diabetic retina persist after euglycemic reentry, indicating memory. Using microarrays and functional annotation clustering of full genome expression data, genes meeting the criteria for hyperglycemic memory were attributed to the cytoskeletal and nuclear compartments of cells of the neurovascular unit. 12-weeks-old STZ-diabetic animals (DC12W), 6-weeks-old STZ-diabetic animals receiving isogenic pancreatic islet transplantation for further 6 weeks (DC+Tx@12W) and age-matched controls (NC) were analyzed after 6 (@6W) and 12 weeks (@12W).