Barber Alistair J
Ophthalmology, and Cell & Biological Systems, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State University College of Medicine, Room C4800, Mail code H166, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
Cells. 2025 Sep 17;14(18):1455. doi: 10.3390/cells14181455.
This review examines how diabetes affects the ganglion cells of the retina, including the axons that make up the optic nerve. Links between established changes in the morphology of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and vision loss, as well as other functions, such as the pupillary light reflex, are considered. RGC morphology and function are significantly altered in both animal models and humans with diabetes. Diabetes affects all parts of the RGC, including the dendrites, the cell body, the axons making up the nerve fiber layer, and the optic nerve. Subtypes of RGCs appear to be affected differently by diabetes, and the morphology and electrophysiological output are more significantly affected in ON-RGCs than in OFF cells, which may explain part of the mechanism underlying the widely documented diabetes-induced reduction in contrast sensitivity. Furthermore, the morphology of the specialized light-sensitive melanopsin-containing RGCs also appears to be affected by diabetes, which may explain deficits in circadian rhythm and the pupillary light reflex. Potential therapeutic approaches aimed at protecting RGCs in diabetes are also discussed. Overall, strong evidence supports the conclusion that diabetes impacts the form and function of RGCs and their axons within the optic nerve, resulting in deficient regulation of circadian rhythms and the pupillary light reflex, in addition to vision.
本综述探讨了糖尿病如何影响视网膜神经节细胞，包括构成视神经的轴突。文中考虑了视网膜神经节细胞（RGCs）形态学的既定变化与视力丧失以及其他功能（如瞳孔光反射）之间的联系。在糖尿病动物模型和人类中，RGCs的形态和功能均发生了显著改变。糖尿病会影响RGCs的各个部分，包括树突、细胞体、构成神经纤维层的轴突以及视神经。不同亚型的RGCs受糖尿病的影响似乎有所不同，ON - RGCs的形态和电生理输出比OFF细胞受到的影响更显著，这可能解释了大量文献记载的糖尿病导致对比敏感度降低的部分机制。此外，含有特殊光敏感视黑素的RGCs的形态似乎也受到糖尿病的影响，这可能解释了昼夜节律和瞳孔光反射方面的缺陷。文中还讨论了旨在保护糖尿病患者RGCs的潜在治疗方法。总体而言，有力证据支持以下结论：糖尿病对视神经内RGCs及其轴突的形态和功能产生影响，除了导致视力问题外，还会致使昼夜节律和瞳孔光反射调节不足。
