Differential Transcription Factor Activator Protein-2 Delta Genotypes Affect the Levels of Interleukin-1 Beta, Interleukin 8, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C in the Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells after Long-term Light Exposure

Retinal degeneration accompanied by abnormal neovascularization from the choroid in the macular area is a critical disease to cure. Retinal cell apoptosis or inflammation in the macula can lead to neovascularization in that area. Some environmental factors such as long-term light exposure, particula...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chih-Hui Chin, Chih-Cheng Chien, Chi-Jung Huang, Chia-Ying Ke, Yih-Jing Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Physiological Investigation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ejpi.EJPI-D-24-00107
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849390975448776704
author Chih-Hui Chin
Chih-Cheng Chien
Chi-Jung Huang
Chia-Ying Ke
Yih-Jing Lee
author_facet Chih-Hui Chin
Chih-Cheng Chien
Chi-Jung Huang
Chia-Ying Ke
Yih-Jing Lee
author_sort Chih-Hui Chin
collection DOAJ
description Retinal degeneration accompanied by abnormal neovascularization from the choroid in the macular area is a critical disease to cure. Retinal cell apoptosis or inflammation in the macula can lead to neovascularization in that area. Some environmental factors such as long-term light exposure, particularly the blue end of the light spectrum, can damage the retina, causing such a disease. Improved understanding of genetic molecules has indicated that certain genes may be potential biomarkers of neovascular macular degeneration. This study aimed to investigate the expression of transcription factor activator protein-2 δ (TFAP-2D) in the retina and explore its role in the pathogenesis of retinal degeneration. For this, a long-term light exposure animal model was used to evaluate TFAP-2D expression in the retina. In addition, two vectors overexpressing different genotypes of TFAP-2D were transfected into retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, and the expression of angiogenesis molecules was investigated. It was found that TFAP-2D expression was observed in the RPE area of the retina in long-term light-exposed rats; however, no TFAP-2D expression was detected in the retina of control (normal) rats. Interleukins (ILs) 1B, IL8, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, and one VEGF receptor (kinase insert domain receptor) were significantly upregulated in RPE cells with TFAP-2D with a C allele at rs78648104 (TFAP-2D-C) overexpression. In conclusion, experiments with different TFAP-2D genotypes revealed that long-term light exposure upregulated TFAP-2D expression in the RPE cells of the retina. In addition, overexpression of TFAP-2D-C induced the release of IL1B, IL8, and VEGF-C, which may lead to neovascularization in the choroid and retina.
format Article
id doaj-art-cf913a162f3a4143a2e109c3983a74cc
institution Kabale University
issn 2950-6344
2950-6352
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Journal of Physiological Investigation
spelling doaj-art-cf913a162f3a4143a2e109c3983a74cc2025-08-20T03:41:14ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Physiological Investigation2950-63442950-63522025-07-0168421822810.4103/ejpi.EJPI-D-24-00107Differential Transcription Factor Activator Protein-2 Delta Genotypes Affect the Levels of Interleukin-1 Beta, Interleukin 8, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C in the Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells after Long-term Light ExposureChih-Hui ChinChih-Cheng ChienChi-Jung HuangChia-Ying KeYih-Jing LeeRetinal degeneration accompanied by abnormal neovascularization from the choroid in the macular area is a critical disease to cure. Retinal cell apoptosis or inflammation in the macula can lead to neovascularization in that area. Some environmental factors such as long-term light exposure, particularly the blue end of the light spectrum, can damage the retina, causing such a disease. Improved understanding of genetic molecules has indicated that certain genes may be potential biomarkers of neovascular macular degeneration. This study aimed to investigate the expression of transcription factor activator protein-2 δ (TFAP-2D) in the retina and explore its role in the pathogenesis of retinal degeneration. For this, a long-term light exposure animal model was used to evaluate TFAP-2D expression in the retina. In addition, two vectors overexpressing different genotypes of TFAP-2D were transfected into retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, and the expression of angiogenesis molecules was investigated. It was found that TFAP-2D expression was observed in the RPE area of the retina in long-term light-exposed rats; however, no TFAP-2D expression was detected in the retina of control (normal) rats. Interleukins (ILs) 1B, IL8, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, and one VEGF receptor (kinase insert domain receptor) were significantly upregulated in RPE cells with TFAP-2D with a C allele at rs78648104 (TFAP-2D-C) overexpression. In conclusion, experiments with different TFAP-2D genotypes revealed that long-term light exposure upregulated TFAP-2D expression in the RPE cells of the retina. In addition, overexpression of TFAP-2D-C induced the release of IL1B, IL8, and VEGF-C, which may lead to neovascularization in the choroid and retina.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ejpi.EJPI-D-24-00107choroidal neovascularizationinterleukin-1 betainterleukin 8retinal pigment epithelial celltranscription factor activator protein-2 δvascular endothelial growth factor c
spellingShingle Chih-Hui Chin
Chih-Cheng Chien
Chi-Jung Huang
Chia-Ying Ke
Yih-Jing Lee
Differential Transcription Factor Activator Protein-2 Delta Genotypes Affect the Levels of Interleukin-1 Beta, Interleukin 8, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C in the Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells after Long-term Light Exposure
Journal of Physiological Investigation
choroidal neovascularization
interleukin-1 beta
interleukin 8
retinal pigment epithelial cell
transcription factor activator protein-2 δ
vascular endothelial growth factor c
title Differential Transcription Factor Activator Protein-2 Delta Genotypes Affect the Levels of Interleukin-1 Beta, Interleukin 8, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C in the Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells after Long-term Light Exposure
title_full Differential Transcription Factor Activator Protein-2 Delta Genotypes Affect the Levels of Interleukin-1 Beta, Interleukin 8, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C in the Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells after Long-term Light Exposure
title_fullStr Differential Transcription Factor Activator Protein-2 Delta Genotypes Affect the Levels of Interleukin-1 Beta, Interleukin 8, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C in the Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells after Long-term Light Exposure
title_full_unstemmed Differential Transcription Factor Activator Protein-2 Delta Genotypes Affect the Levels of Interleukin-1 Beta, Interleukin 8, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C in the Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells after Long-term Light Exposure
title_short Differential Transcription Factor Activator Protein-2 Delta Genotypes Affect the Levels of Interleukin-1 Beta, Interleukin 8, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C in the Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells after Long-term Light Exposure
title_sort differential transcription factor activator protein 2 delta genotypes affect the levels of interleukin 1 beta interleukin 8 and vascular endothelial growth factor c in the retinal pigment epithelial cells after long term light exposure
topic choroidal neovascularization
interleukin-1 beta
interleukin 8
retinal pigment epithelial cell
transcription factor activator protein-2 δ
vascular endothelial growth factor c
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ejpi.EJPI-D-24-00107
work_keys_str_mv AT chihhuichin differentialtranscriptionfactoractivatorprotein2deltagenotypesaffectthelevelsofinterleukin1betainterleukin8andvascularendothelialgrowthfactorcintheretinalpigmentepithelialcellsafterlongtermlightexposure
AT chihchengchien differentialtranscriptionfactoractivatorprotein2deltagenotypesaffectthelevelsofinterleukin1betainterleukin8andvascularendothelialgrowthfactorcintheretinalpigmentepithelialcellsafterlongtermlightexposure
AT chijunghuang differentialtranscriptionfactoractivatorprotein2deltagenotypesaffectthelevelsofinterleukin1betainterleukin8andvascularendothelialgrowthfactorcintheretinalpigmentepithelialcellsafterlongtermlightexposure
AT chiayingke differentialtranscriptionfactoractivatorprotein2deltagenotypesaffectthelevelsofinterleukin1betainterleukin8andvascularendothelialgrowthfactorcintheretinalpigmentepithelialcellsafterlongtermlightexposure
AT yihjinglee differentialtranscriptionfactoractivatorprotein2deltagenotypesaffectthelevelsofinterleukin1betainterleukin8andvascularendothelialgrowthfactorcintheretinalpigmentepithelialcellsafterlongtermlightexposure