Exosomes derived from BMSCs alleviates high glucose‐induced diabetic retinopathy via carrying miR‐483‐5p

Abstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a progressive disease which can cause health problem. It has been reported that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)‐secreted exosomes could regulate the progression of DR via carrying microRNAs. Meanwhile, miR‐483‐5p was downregulated in DR; however, whether BMSCs‐secreted exosomes can modulate DR progression via carrying miR‐483‐5p remains unclear. To mimic DR in vitro, ARPE‐19 cells were exposed to 30 mM high glucose (HG). Exosomes were isolated from BMSCs and identified by transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and western blot. Cell counting kit‐8 assay was applied for assessing the cell viability. Flow cytometry was applied to test the cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, dual luciferase assay was used to evaluate the association among miR‐483‐5p and downstream target insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF‐1R). In addition, quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot were used for exploring the level of miR‐483‐5p and IGF‐1R. HG significantly induced apoptosis in ARPE‐19 cells, while BMSCs‐derived exosomes reversed this phenomenon. In addition, inhibition of miR‐483‐5p expression of exosomes further aggravated HG‐induced ARPE‐19 cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, IGF‐1R was the downstream messenger RNA of miR‐483‐5p, and IGF‐1R silencing could reverse the effect of exosomes with downregulated miR‐483‐5p on HG‐induced cell injury. Exosomes derived from BMSCs inhibit the progression of DR via carrying miR‐483‐5p. Thus, our study might provide a theoretical basis for discovering new strategies against DR.