Using both in vitro (human retinal endothelial cells; HRECs) and in vivo (retinal microvessels from diabetic rats) models of diabetic retinopathy, and retinal microvessels from human donors with documented diabetic retinopathy, we have investigated the effect of hyperglycemia on H3K27me3 and Ezh2 recruitment at the AP-1 region of the MMP-9 promoter. Here, EZH2 is linked to Hyperglycemia.