Deficiency in nucleoside diphosphate kinase B aggravates the development of diabetic retinopathy through up-regulation of angiopoietin-2

Background and Aim: Nucleoside diphosphate kinase B (NDPK-B) is a ubiquitous enzyme required for the synthesis of nucleoside triphosphates. It is involved in many cellular functions. We hypothesize that NDPK-B plays a role in the development of diabetic retinopathy. Materials and methods: Diabetes was induced in NDPK-B knockout (KO) and wild type (WT) mice with streptozotocin. Pericyte coverage (PC) and acellular capillary formation (AC) were evaluated in retina 6 months after diabetes induction. Angiopopietin-2 (Ang-2) was detected by western blotting in mouse retinas and in human umbilical endothelial cells (H…