Increasing evidence supports a role for inflammation in the early development and progression of retinal complications caused by diabetes. We recently demonstrated that the stress response protein regulated in development and DNA damage response 1 (REDD1) promotes diabetes-induced retinal inflammation by sustaining canonical activation of nuclear transcription factor κB (NF-κB). The studies here were designed to identify signaling events whereby REDD1 promotes NF-κB activation in the retina of diabetic mice. We observed increased REDD1 expression in the retina of mice after 16-weeks of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes and found that REDD1 was essential for diabetes to suppress inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3β at S9. In human retinal MIO-M1 Müller cell cultures, REDD1 deletion prevented dephosphorylation of GSK3β and increased NF-κB activation in response to hyperglycemic conditions. Expression of a constitutively active GSK3β variant restored NF-κB activation in cells deficient for REDD1. In cells exposed to hyperglycemic conditions, GSK3β knockdown inhibited NF-κB activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression by preventing inhibitor of κB (IκB) kinase (IKK) complex autophosphorylation and IκB degradation. In both the retina of STZ-diabetic mice and in Müller cells exposed to hyperglycemic conditions, GSK3 inhibition reduced NF-κB activity and prevented an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. In contrast with STZ-diabetic mice receiving a vehicle control, macrophage infiltration was not observed in the retina of STZ-diabetic mice treated with GSK3 inhibitor. Collectively, the findings support a model wherein diabetes enhances REDD1-dependent activation of GSK3β to promote canonical NF-κB signaling and the development of retinal inflammation.
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