Glucocorticoid-induced RPE injury in ARPE-19 cells: association with excessive autophagy and AMPK/mTOR signaling.
This study shows that GR-dependent GC exposure induces autophagic flux with ultrastructural evidence suggestive of mitochondria-targeted autophagy and alters AMPK/mTOR signaling, correlating with RPE barrier collapse and phagocytic failure, a possible link to steroid-associated central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).