FIGURE 3. Consequences of hyperglycaemia-induced activation of protein kinase C (PKC).

Hyperglycaemia increases diacylglycerol (DAG) content, which activates PKC, primarily the - and -isoforms. Activation of PKC has a number of pathogenic consequences by affecting expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS), endothelin-1 (ET-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor- (TGF-) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and by activating NF-B and NAD(P)H oxidases.