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Hypoglycemia-related vision loss, retinal degeneration demonstrated in mice
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Hypoglycemia may deprive the retina of a constant blood glucose supply, potentially causing age-related vision loss, an experimental study in mice suggests.
"This work demonstrates a metabolic-stress-induced loss of vision in mammals, which has not been described previously. Linkage between low blood glucose and loss of vision in mice may highlight the importance for glycemic control in diabetics and retinal diseases related to metabolic stress as macular degeneration," said study authors Yumiko Umino, MD, and colleagues in the December 19 issue of Proceedings from the National Academy of Sciences.
Assessing the impact of low blood glucose on vision in a mouse model of hypoglycemia, the researchers found that metabolic stress from moderate hypoglycemia led to late-onset loss of retinal function, visual acuity and eventual retinal cell death. From 9 to 13 months, retinal function declined more than a hundredfold, and at 10 months mice began to lose visual acuity. They also showed changes in retinal anatomy, including increased cell death that was initially more apparent in the inner retina.
The decreases in retinal function and visual acuity directly correlated with the degree of hypoglycemia, the authors noted.