Palmitoylethanolamide treatment reduces retinal inflammation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Irene Paterniti, Rosanna Di Paola, Michela Campolo, Rosalba Siracusa, Marika Cordaro, Giuseppe Bruschetta, Gemma Tremolada, Anna Maestroni, Francesco Bandello, Emanuela Esposito, Gianpaolo Zerbini, Salvatore Cuzzocrea. Eur J Pharmacol. 2015;769:313-23.

Laboratory studyOther animals

Design

Laboratory study

Subjects

Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, eyes examined 15 and 60 days after diabetes induction

Dose used in the study

PEA 10 mg/kg by mouth daily, starting 3 days after streptozotocin injection

Duration

Up to 60 days

What was measured

Retinal levels of VEGF, ICAM-1, nitrotyrosine and tight junction proteins by immunohistochemistry, as markers of blood-retinal barrier breakdown

What the authors reported

Diabetic rats showed raised VEGF, ICAM-1 and nitrotyrosine in the retina. PEA treatment significantly reduced this retinal injury and helped preserve the blood-retinal barrier, based on immunohistochemical analysis.

Limits of this study

A rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes; it cannot show effect in people with diabetic retinopathy. Funding and conflicts not stated in the abstract.

Source

PubMed 26607470 · doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.11.035

Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.