ERK5 Contributes to VEGF Alteration in Diabetic Retinopathy

Figure 5

Immunohistochemical staining of pERK5 in the retina showing reduced pERK5 protein expression in the retina of diabetic rats (b) compared to the control animals (a). Positive pERK5 staining was localized in the ganglion cell and inner nuclear layers (arrows). Inset is an enlarged view of a microvessel showing positive pERK5 staining in the endothelial cells. Real-time PCR analysis showed reduced KLF2 (c) and augmented VEGF (d) mRNA expression in the retina of diabetic rats compared to the controls. [Original magnification at 100x. mRNAs are expressed as a ratio to 18S, normalized to control, $n=5$/group, ${}^{*}$ significantly different from controls.]

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