VEGFA and diabetes mellitus: Various studies have demonstrated that inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as IL-1β, TNF-α, and VEGF), chemokines (such as MCP-1), or adhesion molecules (such as ICAM-1) can reduce diabetes-induced leukostasis [3, 41, 44], degeneration of retinal capillaries [52], or BRB breakdown [53].