白内障超声乳化对角膜内皮细胞的相关影响因素

目的：旨在分析白内障超声乳化对角膜内皮细胞损伤的相关影响因素,以期在临床上指导白内障超乳手术的改进,提高手术质量,降低对角膜内皮细胞的损伤。方法：随机选取于我院行白内障超声乳化的125例125眼年龄相关性白内障患者,对可能影响角膜内皮细胞的多个因素进行分析。结果：各因素在术后1周和术后3个月的角膜内皮细胞损失率呈线性相关（F=2.13,P=0.017〈0.05;F=2.58,p=0.016〈0.05）;其中对超声乳化术后1周和3个月角膜内皮细胞损伤影响最强的因素均是核硬度（P=0.012,p=0.014）,其次为超乳时间（1周时P=0.005,3个月时P=0.034）。在术后1周内角膜内皮细胞损失率与核硬度、粘弹剂类型呈显著性相关（P=0.012,p=0.036）;在术后3个月与核硬度和术前角膜内皮细胞密度呈显著性相关（P=0.014,p=0.012）。结论：超乳时间、超乳能量、粘弹剂的类型、超乳模式、核硬度、术前角膜内皮细胞密度均与角膜内皮细胞的损伤有关,最危险的因素是核硬度,其次是超乳时间。     

Endothelial Cell-Selective Adhesion Molecule Expression in Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells Is Essential for Erythropoiesis Recovery after Bone Marrow Injury

Numerous red blood cells are generated every second from proliferative progenitor cells under a homeostatic state. Increased erythropoietic activity is required after myelo-suppression as a result of chemo-radio therapies. Our previous study revealed that the endothelial cell-selective adhesion molecule (ESAM), an authentic hematopoietic stem cell marker, plays essential roles in stress-induced hematopoiesis. To determine the physiological importance of ESAM in erythroid recovery, ESAM-knockout (KO) mice were treated with the anti-cancer drug, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). ESAM-KO mice experienced severe and prolonged anemia after 5-FU treatment compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Eight days after the 5-FU injection, compared to WT mice, ESAM-KO mice showed reduced numbers of erythroid progenitors in bone marrow (BM) and spleen, and reticulocytes in peripheral blood. Megakaryocyte-erythrocyte progenitors (MEPs) from the BM of 5-FU-treated ESAM-KO mice showed reduced burst forming unit-erythrocyte (BFU-E) capacities than those from WT mice. BM transplantation revealed that hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells from ESAM-KO donors were more sensitive to 5-FU treatment than that from WT donors in the WT host mice. However, hematopoietic cells from WT donors transplanted into ESAM-KO host mice could normally reconstitute the erythroid lineage after a BM injury. These results suggested that ESAM expression in hematopoietic cells, but not environmental cells, is critical for hematopoietic recovery. We also found that 5-FU treatment induces the up-regulation of ESAM in primitive erythroid progenitors and macrophages that do not express ESAM under homeostatic conditions. The phenotypic change seen in macrophages might be functionally involved in the interaction between erythroid progenitors and their niche components during stress-induced acute erythropoiesis. Microarray analyses of primitive erythroid progenitors from 5-FU-treated WT and ESAM-KO mice revealed that various signaling pathways, including the GATA1 system, were impaired in ESAM-KO mice. Thus, our data demonstrate that ESAM expression in hematopoietic progenitors is essential for erythroid recovery after a BM injury.     

Reoxygenation Injury of Human Brain Capillary Endothelial Cells

1. Many studies have demonstrated that endothelial cells from several species can generate oxygen free radicals when subjected to anoxia and reoxygenation. However, due to the heterogeneity of the endothelium within different organs and species, the effects of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and allopurinol on reoxygenated cultured cells remain quite controversial.2. This review outlines the possible sources of oxygen free radicals within brain endothelial cells.3. We examine the aspects of the effects of SOD catalase and allopurinol on cultured human brain capillary endothelial cells upon reoxygenation.4. Also, we introduce briefly a method of culturing human brain capillary endothelial cells and present our experimental results on the effects of SOD, catalase, and allopurinol in these cultured cells following anoxia and reoxygenation.     

小梁切除术中应用丝裂霉素C 对角膜内皮细胞的影响

目的:观察小梁切除术中应用丝裂霉素C(MMC)对角膜内皮细胞的影响。方法:收集2010年9月2011年5月在我院行小梁切除术的青光眼患者60例(78眼),随机分为术中应用丝裂霉素C的36例(46眼)患者为A组,术中不用丝裂霉素C的24例(32眼)为B组,分别观察术前、术后1个月和术后3个月两组眼压(IOP)、角膜内皮细胞的密度(CD)、平均细胞面积(AVG)及细胞面积变异系数(CV),分析其数量的改变及两组间的差异。结果:A组术前眼压为(35.4±13.7)mmHg,B组术前眼压为(32.5±13.5)mmHg差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),A组术后1个月及术后3个月眼压分别为(15.7±3.7)mmHg、(17.0±3.2)mmHg,均低于B组的(19.4±3.7)mmHg、(20.2±2.1)mmHg,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。A组术前、术后1个月及术后3个月角膜内皮细胞密度分别为(2475±484)个/mm2、(2199±373)个/mm2、(2164±332)个/mm2;平均细胞面积分别为(431.4±67.6)μm2、(480.6±66.8)μm2、(463.8±46.2)μm2;细胞面积变异系数分别为(31.1±7.4)%、(34.4±6.3)%、(31.2±7.5)%;术后1个月及术后3个月各参数与术前比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。B组术前、术后1个月及术后3个月角膜内皮细胞密度分别为(2342±94)个/mm2、(2185±215)个/mm2、(2074±218)个/mm2;平均细胞面积分别为(453.9±94.8)μm2、(516.3±100.8)μm2、(499.81±106.4)μm2;细胞面积变异系数分别为(30.2±3.0)%、(32.7±2.9)%、(31.4±4.3)%;除术后3个月角膜内皮细胞与术前比较有意义(P<0.05)外,余参数术后1个月及术后3个月与术前比较差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。术后1个月A组的角膜内皮细胞丢失率为10.4%高于B组的6.1%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);术后3个月A组的角膜内皮细胞丢失率为11.1%高于B组的10.0%,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:小梁切除术中用丝裂霉素C的降压效果比不用丝裂霉素C的效果好,但短期内前者角膜内皮细胞的丢失率高于后者。     

Self-Complementary Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors Improve Transduction Efficiency of Corneal Endothelial Cells

Transplantation of a donor cornea to restore vision is the most frequently performed transplantation in the world. Corneal endothelial cells (CEC) are crucial for the outcome of a graft as they maintain corneal transparency and avoid graft failure due to corneal opaqueness. Given the characteristic of being a monolayer and in direct contact with culture medium during cultivation in eye banks, CEC are specifically suitable for gene therapeutic approaches prior to transplantation. Recombinant adeno-associated virus 2 (rAAV2) vectors represent a promising tool for gene therapy of CEC. However, high vector titers are needed to achieve sufficient gene expression. One of the rate-limiting steps for transgene expression is the conversion of single-stranded (ss-) DNA vector genome into double-stranded (ds-) DNA. This step can be bypassed by using self-complementary (sc-) AAV2 vectors. Aim of this study was to compare for the first time transduction efficiencies of ss- and scAAV2 vectors in CEC. For this purpose AAV2 vectors containing enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) as transgene were used. Both in CEC and in donor corneas, transduction with scAAV2 resulted in significantly higher transgene expression compared to ssAAV2. The difference in transduction efficiency decreased with increasing vector titer. In most cases, only half the vector titer of scAAV2 was required for equal or higher gene expression rates than those of ssAAV2. In human donor corneas, GFP expression was 64.7±11.3% (scAAV) and 38.0±8.6% (ssAAV) (p<0.001), respectively. Furthermore, transduced cells maintained their viability and showed regular morphology. Working together with regulatory authorities, a translation of AAV2 vector-mediated gene therapy to achieve a temporary protection of corneal allografts during cultivation and transplantation could therefore become more realistic.     

小梁切除术中应用丝裂霉素C对角膜内皮细胞的影响

目的：观察小梁切除术中应用丝裂霉素C（MMC）对角膜内皮细胞的影响。方法：收集2010年9月2011年5月在我院行小梁切除术的青光眼患者60例（78眼）,随机分为术中应用丝裂霉素c的36例（46眼）患者为A组,术中不用丝裂霉素c的24例（32眼）为B组。分别观察术前、术后1个月和术后3个月两组眼压（10P）、角膜内皮细胞的密度（co）、平均细胞面积（AVG）及细胞面积变异系数（cv）,分析其数量的改变及两组间的差异。结果：A组术前眼压为（35．4±13．7）mmHg,B组术前眼压为（32．5±13．5）mmHg差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）,A组术后1个月及术后3个月眼压分别为（15．7±3．7）mmHg、（17．0±3．2）mmHg,均低于B组的（19．4±3．7）mmHg、（20．2±2．1）mmHg,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。A组术前、术后1个月及术后3个月角膜内皮细胞密度分别为（2475±484）个／mm2、（2199±373）个／mm2、（2164±332）个／mm2;平均细胞面积分别为（431．4±67．6）μm2、（480．6±66．8）μm2、（463．8±46．2）μm2;细胞面积变异系数分别为（31．1±7．4）％、（34．4±6．3）％、（31．2±7．5）％;术后1个月及术后3个月各参数与术前比较,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。B组术前、术后1个月及术后3个月角膜内皮细胞密度分别为（2342±94）个／mm2、（2185＋215）个／mm2、（2074218）个／mm2;平均细胞面积分别为（453．9土94．8）μm2、（516.3±100．8）μm2、（499．81＋106．4）μm2;细胞面积变异系数分别为（30．2土3．0）％、（32．7±2．9）％、（31．4±4．3）％;除术后3个月角膜内皮细胞与术前比较有意义（P〈0．05）外,余参数术后1个月及术后3个月与术前比较差异均无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。术后1个月A组的角膜内皮细胞丢失率为10．4％高于B组的6．1％,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）;术后3个月A组的角膜内皮细胞丢失率为11．1％高于B组的10．0％,差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论：小梁切除术中用丝裂霉素C的降压效果比不用丝裂霉素C的效果好,但短期内前者角膜内皮细胞的丢失率高于后者。     

Telomerase Immortalization of Human Corneal Endothelial Cells Yields Functional Hexagonal Monolayers

Human corneal endothelial cells (HCEnCs) form a monolayer of hexagonal cells whose main function is to maintain corneal clarity by regulating corneal hydration. HCEnCs are derived from neural crest and are arrested in the post-mitotic state. Thus cell loss due to aging or corneal endothelial disorders leads to corneal edema and blindness–the leading indication for corneal transplantation. Here we show the existence of morphologically distinct subpopulations of HCEnCs that are interspersed among primary cells and exhibit enhanced self-renewal competence and lack of phenotypic signs of cellular senescence. Colonies of these uniform and hexagonal HCEnCs (HCEnC-21) were selectively isolated and demonstrated high proliferative potential that was dependent on endogenous upregulation of telomerase and cyclin D/CDK4. Further transduction of HCEnC-21 with telomerase yielded a highly proliferative corneal endothelial cell line (HCEnT-21T) that was devoid of oncogenic transformation and retained critical corneal endothelial cell characteristics and functionality. This study will significantly impact the fields of corneal cell biology and regenerative medicine.     

白内障超声乳化术对糖尿病患者角膜内皮细胞和中央角膜厚度影响

目的:评估糖尿病患者和非糖尿病患者在行白内障超声乳化手术后,角膜内皮细胞和中央角膜厚度变化。方法:观察于我院行白内障超声乳化吸出联合人工晶状体植入术的年龄相关性白内障患者各100例(100眼),于术前1天、术后1周、1个月、3个月、6个月和1年随访记录其角膜内皮细胞密度(endothelial cell density, ECD)、六角形细胞百分比(percentage of hexagonal cells,PHC)、变异系数(coefficient of variation, CV)和中央角膜厚度(central corneal thickness, CCT)等指标,并对结果进行统计学分析。结果:非糖尿病组在术前各指标无明显差异(P0.05),术后1年ECD, PHC在两组均下降,CV升高(P0.05),CCT出现明显波动,糖尿病组在术后一周达到峰值。ECD,CV和PHC在术后各时间点出现明显的组间差异(P0.05)。结论:白内障超声乳化术后远期内,糖尿病组的角膜内细胞和中央角膜厚度较非糖尿病组发生显著变化。     

Transplantation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells to Evaluate Functional Recovery after Peripheral Nerve Injury

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are neural crest cells which allow growth and regrowth of the primary olfactory neurons. Indeed, the primary olfactory system is characterized by its ability to give rise to new neurons even in adult animals. This particular ability is partly due to the presence of OECs which create a favorable microenvironment for neurogenesis. This property of OECs has been used for cellular transplantation such as in spinal cord injury models. Although the peripheral nervous system has a greater capacity to regenerate after nerve injury than the central nervous system, complete sections induce misrouting during axonal regrowth in particular after facial of laryngeal nerve transection. Specifically, full sectioning of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) induces aberrant axonal regrowth resulting in synkinesis of the vocal cords. In this specific model, we showed that OECs transplantation efficiently increases axonal regrowth.OECs are constituted of several subpopulations present in both the olfactory mucosa (OM-OECs) and the olfactory bulbs (OB-OECs). We present here a model of cellular transplantation based on the use of these different subpopulations of OECs in a RLN injury model. Using this paradigm, primary cultures of OB-OECs and OM-OECs were transplanted in Matrigel after section and anastomosis of the RLN. Two months after surgery, we evaluated transplanted animals by complementary analyses based on videolaryngoscopy, electromyography (EMG), and histological studies. First, videolaryngoscopy allowed us to evaluate laryngeal functions, in particular muscular cocontractions phenomena. Then, EMG analyses demonstrated richness and synchronization of muscular activities. Finally, histological studies based on toluidine blue staining allowed the quantification of the number and profile of myelinated fibers.All together, we describe here how to isolate, culture, identify and transplant OECs from OM and OB after RLN section-anastomosis and how to evaluate and analyze the efficiency of these transplanted cells on axonal regrowth and laryngeal functions.     

Growth of Trachoma Agent in Primary Cultures of Rabbit Corneal Endothelial Cells

Primary cultures of rabbit corneal endothelial cells supported growth of trachoma agent, as evidenced by the production of inclusions and an increase of infectivity titers.     

ROCK Inhibitor Enhances Adhesion and Wound Healing of Human Corneal Endothelial Cells

Maintenance of corneal transparency is crucial for vision and depends mainly on the endothelium, a non-proliferative monolayer of cells covering the inner part of the cornea. When endothelial cell density falls below a critical threshold, the barrier and “pump” functions of the endothelium are compromised which results in corneal oedema and loss of visual acuity. The conventional treatment for such severe disorder is corneal graft. Unfortunately, there is a worldwide shortage of donor corneas, necessitating amelioration of tissue survival and storage after harvesting. Recently it was reported that the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 promotes adhesion, inhibits apoptosis, increases the number of proliferating monkey corneal endothelial cells in vitro and enhance corneal endothelial wound healing both in vitro and in vivo in animal models. Using organ culture human cornea (N = 34), the effect of ROCK inhibitor was evaluated in vitro and ex vivo. Toxicity, corneal endothelial cell density, cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell morphometry, adhesion and wound healing process were evaluated by live/dead assay standard cell counting method, EdU labelling, Ki67, Caspase3, Zo-1 and Actin immunostaining. We demonstrated for the first time in human corneal endothelial cells ex vivo and in vitro, that ROCK inhibitor did not induce any toxicity effect and did not alter cell viability. ROCK inhibitor treatment did not induce human corneal endothelial cells proliferation. However, ROCK inhibitor significantly enhanced adhesion and wound healing. The present study shows that the selective ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 has no effect on human corneal endothelial cells proliferative capacities, but alters cellular behaviours. It induces changes in cell shape, increases cell adhesion and enhances wound healing ex vivo and in vitro. Its absence of toxicity, as demonstrated herein, is relevant for its use in human therapy.     

超声乳化白内障手术后患者角膜内皮细胞损伤的研究

目的:探讨超声乳化白内障手术患者角膜内皮细胞的损伤情况。方法:收集我院确诊为白内障的患者121例,随机分配为微切口组与常规切口组。常规切口组采用3.0 mm切口超声乳化白内障手术方案,微切口组采用1.8 mm小切口超声乳化白内障手术。手术前、手术后1日、7日、1个月、3个月监测患者角膜内皮细胞密度、六角形细胞比例、角膜内皮细胞变异系数及中央角膜厚度。结果:与治疗前相比,两组患者手术后1日、7日、1个月、3个月的角膜内皮细胞密度、六角形细胞比例及角膜内皮细胞变异系数均较治疗前显著降低(P0.05);手术后1日、7日时,两组患者的中央角膜厚度均较手术前明显变薄,有统计学差异(P0.05);手术后1个月、3个月,两组患者的中央角膜厚度均呈降低趋势,最终与手术前相似。微切口组患者不同时点六角形细胞比例与同期常规切口组比较均显著升高,角膜内皮细胞变异系数与同期常规切口组比较均明显降低有统计学差异(P0.05)。两组患者手术前后不同时间点角膜内皮细胞密度、中央角膜厚度组间比较均无统计学差异(P0.05)。结论:超声乳化白内障手术后患者角膜内皮细胞损伤与手术切口有相关性,缩小手术面积的小切口手术使术后修复增快,安全有效,适宜临床推广。     

Discovery of Molecular Markers to Discriminate Corneal Endothelial Cells in the Human Body

The corneal endothelium is a monolayer of hexagonal corneal endothelial cells (CECs) on the inner surface of the cornea. CECs are critical in maintaining corneal transparency through their barrier and pump functions. CECs in vivo have a limited capacity in proliferation, and loss of a significant number of CECs results in corneal edema called bullous keratopathy which can lead to severe visual loss. Corneal transplantation is the most effective method to treat corneal endothelial dysfunction, where it suffers from donor shortage. Therefore, regeneration of CECs from other cell types attracts increasing interests, and specific markers of CECs are crucial to identify actual CECs. However, the currently used markers are far from satisfactory because of their non-specific expression in other cell types. Here, we explored molecular markers to discriminate CECs from other cell types in the human body by integrating the published RNA-seq data of CECs and the FANTOM5 atlas representing diverse range of cell types based on expression patterns. We identified five genes, CLRN1, MRGPRX3, HTR1D, GRIP1 and ZP4 as novel markers of CECs, and the specificities of these genes were successfully confirmed by independent experiments at both the RNA and protein levels. Notably none of them have been documented in the context of CEC function. These markers could be useful for the purification of actual CECs, and also available for the evaluation of the products derived from other cell types. Our results demonstrate an effective approach to identify molecular markers for CECs and open the door for the regeneration of CECs in vitro.     

不同缝合方式对大鼠角膜穿通伤后内皮细胞影响的研究

目的:通过手术缝合治疗大鼠角膜穿通伤,探索全层缝合、深板层缝合、及不缝合对角膜内皮细胞的影响.方法:建立大鼠角膜穿通伤模型,同一手术者对角膜切口进行全层、深板层、及不缝合操作.在裂隙灯下动态观察角膜创伤愈合情况;对不同时间点愈合角膜行内皮细胞台盼蓝-茜素红联合活细胞染色及HE染色,观察内皮细胞损伤、修复及白细胞浸润情况.结果:无论是全层缝合还是板层缝合以及不缝合组角膜内皮细胞均损伤明显.但从第1天观察至1月,三组损伤区面积大小无明显差别.结论:全层和深板层缝合及未缝合组可直接造成角膜内皮细胞受损,继发性炎症反应损伤后角膜内皮细胞的损害;伤口周围1.5 mm处角膜内皮几乎损失殆尽,内皮细胞受损可使角膜损伤区水肿迁延不愈,最终形成瘢痕愈合,所以角膜内皮损伤及最终愈合程度三组间无明显差异.     

High Throughput Gene Expression Analysis Identifies Reliable Expression Markers of Human Corneal Endothelial Cells

Considerable interest has been generated for the development of suitable corneal endothelial graft alternatives through cell-tissue engineering, which can potentially alleviate the shortage of corneal transplant material. The advent of less invasive suture-less key-hole surgery options such as Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK) and Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK), which involve transplantation of solely the endothelial layer instead of full thickness cornea, provide further impetus for the development of alternative endothelial grafts for clinical applications. A major challenge for this endeavor is the lack of specific markers for this cell type. To identify genes that reliably mark corneal endothelial cells (CECs) in vivo and in vitro, we performed RNA-sequencing on freshly isolated human CECs (from both young and old donors), CEC cultures, and corneal stroma. Gene expression of these corneal cell types was also compared to that of other human tissue types. Based on high throughput comparative gene expression analysis, we identified a panel of markers that are: i) highly expressed in CECs from both young donors and old donors; ii) expressed in CECs in vivo and in vitro; and iii) not expressed in corneal stroma keratocytes and the activated corneal stroma fibroblasts. These were SLC4A11, COL8A2 and CYYR1. The use of this panel of genes in combination reliably ascertains the identity of the CEC cell type.     

Generation of Corneal Epithelial Cells from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Human Dermal Fibroblast and Corneal Limbal Epithelium

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be established from somatic cells. However, there is currently no established strategy to generate corneal epithelial cells from iPS cells. In this study, we investigated whether corneal epithelial cells could be differentiated from iPS cells. We tested 2 distinct sources: human adult dermal fibroblast (HDF)-derived iPS cells (253G1) and human adult corneal limbal epithelial cells (HLEC)-derived iPS cells (L1B41). We first established iPS cells from HLEC by introducing the Yamanaka 4 factors. Corneal epithelial cells were successfully induced from the iPS cells by the stromal cell-derived inducing activity (SDIA) differentiation method, as Pax6⁺/K12⁺ corneal epithelial colonies were observed after prolonged differentiation culture (12 weeks or later) in both the L1B41 and 253G1 iPS cells following retinal pigment epithelial and lens cell induction. Interestingly, the corneal epithelial differentiation efficiency was higher in L1B41 than in 253G1. DNA methylation analysis revealed that a small proportion of differentially methylated regions still existed between L1B41 and 253G1 iPS cells even though no significant difference in methylation status was detected in the specific corneal epithelium-related genes such as K12, K3, and Pax6. The present study is the first to demonstrate a strategy for corneal epithelial cell differentiation from human iPS cells, and further suggests that the epigenomic status is associated with the propensity of iPS cells to differentiate into corneal epithelial cells.     

Freezing Injury in Onion Bulb Cells: II. Post-thawing Injury or Recovery

Onion (Allium cepa L.) bulbs were subjected for 12 days to either a moderate freeze (−4 C) or a severe freeze (−11 C). They were then thawed slowly over ice. During 7 to 12 days following the thaw, the injury progressed with time in the severely frozen bulbs, but appeared completely repaired in the moderately frozen bulbs. This was shown by the following post-thawing changes.     

Role of TRPM7 Channels in Hyperglycemia-Mediated Injury of Vascular Endothelial Cells

This study investigated the change of transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) expression by high glucose and its role in hyperglycemia induced injury of vascular endothelial cells. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated in the presence or absence of high concentrations of D-glucose (HG) for 72h. RT-PCR, Real-time PCR, Western blotting, Immunofluorescence staining and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed that TRPM7 mRNA, TRPM7 protein expression and TRPM7-like currents were increased in HUVECs following exposure to HG. In contrast to D-glucose, exposure of HUVECs to high concentrations of L-glucose had no effect. HG increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cytotoxicity and decreased endothelial nitric oxide synthase protein expression, which could be attenuated by knockdown of TRPM7 with TRPM7 siRNA. The protective effect of silencing TRPM7 against HG induced endothelial injury was abolished by U0126, an inhibitor of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathway. These observations suggest that TRPM7 channels play an important role in hyperglycemia-induced injury of vascular endothelial cells.