Macular oedema: the role of soluble mediators

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Abstract
Extravascular accumulation of fluid in the retina is normally prevented by the blood-retinal barrier (BRB). The BRB consists of adaptations of retinal blood vessels (inner BRB) and the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE; outer BRB) that control access of fluid and solutes to the retina. One adaptation is the presence of tight junctions between adjacent retinal vascular endothelial (RVE) cells and between adjacent RPE cells. Other adaptations include an abatement in vesicular transport in RVE cells compared with vascular endothelial cells in skin7 8 and asymmetrical distribution of proteins that regulate vectorial transport across RPE cells.9