Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41444271›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

A novel accessible in vitro model of proliferative vitreoretinal diseases shows facilitated epithelial mesenchymal transition through aquaporin-1.

Azine Datlibagi, Clément Duveau, Anna Zein-El-Din, Nargis Bolaky, Vincent Lambert, Jason Perret, François Willermain, Christine Delporte, Elie Motulsky

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Azine Datlibagi *Laboratory of Pathophysiological and Nutritional Biochemistry, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, CP611, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
Clément Duveau *Laboratory of Pathophysiological and Nutritional Biochemistry, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, CP611, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
Anna Zein-El-DinLaboratory of Pathophysiological and Nutritional Biochemistry, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, CP611, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
Nargis BolakyLaboratory of Pathophysiological and Nutritional Biochemistry, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, CP611, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
Vincent LambertDepartment of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
Jason PerretLaboratory of Pathophysiological and Nutritional Biochemistry, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, CP611, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
François WillermainDepartment of Ophthalmology, CHU St Pierre and Brugmann, 1000, Brussels, Belgium.
Christine Delporte *Laboratory of Pathophysiological and Nutritional Biochemistry, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, CP611, 1070, Brussels, Belgium. christine.delporte@ulb.be.
Elie Motulsky *Department of Ophthalmology, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB)-Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.

Funding

Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS J.0128.23Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS Research fellowFonds Erasme pour la recherche médicale Research fellowFonds pour la Recherche en Ophtalmologie Individual Research Projects in OphthalmologyFund Iris Research from the King Baudouin Foundation 2022-J1820690-226884
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study aimed to establish a new in vitro model of proliferative vitreoretinal disease (PVD) using ARPE-19 cells and to evaluate the role of Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) in this model. ARPE-19 cells, stably transfected without or with AQP1, were differentiated in a nicotinamide-enriched medium (N + medium) prior to a 5 day treatment with either N + medium, medium devoid of nicotinamide (N-), or N- medium supplemented with TNF-α and TGF-β (TNT) to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Human proliferative vitreoretinal disease (PVD) membranes and retinal pigmented cells isolated from ocular globes were collected. RNA sequencing was performed on both ARPE-19 treated cells and human samples. Cell migration assays and immunofluorescence analyses were performed to assess the effects of cell treatments. After differentiation in N + medium, control and AQP1-transfected ARPE-19 cells treated with TNT in N- medium (CT TNT N- and AQP1 TNT N-) exhibited features of EMT, including elongated spindle-like morphology and enhanced migratory capacity. AQP1 TNT N- cells shared the highest transcriptional similarities with human PVD membranes. Moreover, in the absence of TNT, AQP1-transfected ARPE-19 cells in N- medium exhibited increased migration and early EMT markers, suggesting a role for AQP1 in these processes. Importantly, AQP1 expression appeared to slightly upregulate matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) expression, which may promote cell invasion. Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox-1 (ZEB1), a key EMT regulator, was upregulated in conditions containing TNT and AQP1. Our findings suggest that the AQP1 TNT N- model best mimics human PVD membranes, both in transcriptomic profile and cellular behavior.

Indexed as

Aquaporin 1Epithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionVitreoretinopathy, ProliferativeCell DifferentiationCell LineCell MovementHumansModels, BiologicalRetinal Pigment EpitheliumAQP1 protein, humanAquaporin 1Aquaporin−1Cellular cultureIn vitro modelProliferative vitreoretinal diseasesRetina

Identifiers

PMID41444271
PMCPMC12738576

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.