纽约（路透社健康版）12月14日报道——新的研究表明：低血糖能导致小鼠产生年龄相关的视力和视网膜细胞丧失，这些发现低估了糖尿病患者严格血糖控制的重要性。
以前的报道表明：视网膜细胞需要一个稳定的葡萄糖供应以发挥正常的功能，因此，任何限制葡萄糖供应的条件都能产生不良后果。
纽约SUNY Upstate Medical University的Dr. R. B. Barlow和他的同事在当前的实验中测试了一种缺乏胰高血糖素受体而致低血糖小鼠的视网膜功能。
根据12月19日的国家科学院学报的报道得知：随着年龄的增长，动物表现为视网膜功能的丧失，视力下降，最后出现视网膜细胞的死亡，研究者指出：进一步的分析表明视网膜功能和视力的下降反映了低血糖的程度。
“这项研究证明了哺乳动物以前没有提到过的代谢应激导致的失明，小鼠低血糖和失明之间的联系可能强调了糖尿病患者的血糖控制和归因于代谢性应激如黄斑变性而致视网膜疾病的重要性，” Dr. Barlow的小组得出这个结论。
Hypoglycemia Promotes Vision Loss in Mice
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 14 - Hypoglycemia leads to an age-related loss of visual acuity and retinal cells in mice, new research shows. These findings underscore the importance of tight glycemic control in diabetics.
Previous reports have shown that retinal cells require a steady supply of glucose to function properly. Therefore, any condition that limits this supply could have adverse consequences.
In the present study, Dr. R. B. Barlow, from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, and colleagues tested the retinal effects of low blood sugar in mice bred to lack glucagon receptors, rendering them hypoglycemic.
With age, the animals showed a loss of retinal function, a drop in visual acuity, and ultimately the death of retinal cells, according to the report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences for December 19.
Further analysis showed that the reduction in retinal function and visual acuity reflected the degree of hypoglycemia, the researchers state.
"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 (such) as macular degeneration," Dr. Barlow's team concludes.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/549380
编辑：蓝色幻想
