SAL attenuates diabetic retinal vascular dysfunction by upregulating miR-142-3p and downregulating TRAF6.
Salidroside (SAL) inhibited high glucose-induced proliferation of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs).
SAL inhibited high glucose-induced migration and angiogenesis of HRMECs.
SAL promoted the expression of tight junction-associated proteins ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-5 in HRMECs under high glucose conditions.
SAL upregulated miR-142-3p expression in HRMECs under high glucose conditions.
miR-142-3p directly targets TRAF6 and negatively regulates its expression.
The inhibitory effects of SAL on HRMECs were diminished when miR-142-3p was reduced or TRAF6 levels were raised.
SAL ameliorated retinopathy in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.
This research suggests that a natural compound called salidroside (SAL), found in certain plants, may help protect the eyes from damage caused by diabetes. In diabetic retinopathy, high blood sugar levels harm the tiny blood vessels of the retina, potentially leading to vision loss. The researchers tested SAL in both laboratory-grown human retinal blood vessel cells exposed to high sugar conditions and in diabetic rats, finding that SAL reduced abnormal cell growth, movement, and new blood vessel formation while also helping to preserve the structural integrity of the blood vessel walls. This research suggests that SAL works through a specific molecular pathway: it increases the levels of a small molecule called miR-142-3p, which in turn reduces the activity of a protein called TRAF6. When the researchers artificially blocked miR-142-3p or boosted TRAF6, SAL's protective effects were largely cancelled out, confirming that this pathway is central to how SAL works. In diabetic rats, SAL also visibly improved the appearance of retinal tissue under microscopy. This research suggests that salidroside could be a potential candidate for further investigation as a treatment for diabetic retinopathy, and that the miR-142-3p/TRAF6 signaling axis may represent a meaningful therapeutic target. However, these findings are based on cell culture and animal experiments, and additional research including human clinical trials would be needed before any conclusions about human treatment could be drawn.
Zhou L, Hang W, Li C. (2026). Salidroside attenuates diabetic retinopathy by upregulating miR-142-3p to target TRAF6.. Journal of molecular histology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-026-10850-y