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Review
. 2024 Apr 8;12(4):817.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12040817.

Aging in Ocular Blood Vessels: Molecular Insights and the Role of Oxidative Stress

Xiuting Cui  1 , Francesco Buonfiglio  1 , Norbert Pfeiffer  1 , Adrian Gericke  1
Affiliations
Review

Aging in Ocular Blood Vessels: Molecular Insights and the Role of Oxidative Stress

Xiuting Cui et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

Acknowledged as a significant pathogenetic driver for numerous diseases, aging has become a focal point in addressing the profound changes associated with increasing human life expectancy, posing a critical concern for global public health. Emerging evidence suggests that factors influencing vascular aging extend their impact to choroidal and retinal blood vessels. The objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of vascular aging on ocular blood vessels and related diseases. Additionally, this study aims to illuminate molecular insights contributing to vascular cell aging, with a particular emphasis on the choroid and retina. Moreover, innovative molecular targets operating within the domain of ocular vascular aging are presented and discussed.

Keywords: aging; blood vessels; choroid; pathophysiology; retina; vascular aging.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Illustration of the retinal layers and the structure of the choroid. BrM: Bruch’s membrane; RGC: retinal ganglion cell; RPE: retinal pigment epithelium.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic presentation of the pathophysiological drivers in choroidal vascular aging. ROS: reactive oxygen species. Upward arrows indicate increase, downward arrows indicate decrease.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Pathophysiological link between choroidal vascular aging and the occurrence of AMD. AGE: advanced glycation end product; AMD: age-related macular degeneration; BrM: Bruch’s membrane; CNV: choroidal neovascularization; GA: geographic atrophy; HLA: human leucocyte antigen; NF-kB: nuclear factor “kappa-light-chain-enhancer” of activated B-cells; ROS: reactive oxygen species; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor. Upward arrows indicate increase.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Overview of the reported characteristics in the aged retinal endothelium and vascular smooth muscle cell layer. IL: interleukin; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor. Upward arrows indicate increase, downward arrows indicate decrease.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Overview of the reported pathophysiological drivers in retinal vascular aging and the novel treatment targets. eNOS: endothelial nitric oxide synthase; NO: nitric oxide; Nrf2: nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SIRT: sirtuin. Upward arrows indicate increase.
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