VEGFA and diabetic retinopathy: In previous study, puerarin may also upregulated the gene expression of retinal vascular endothelial growth factor and hypoxia-inducible factor-1, which had a significant protective effect against STZ-induced diabetic retinopathy in rats, while VEGF, an angiogenic and vascular permeability factor, was significantly increased in the vitreous and aqueous fluids of eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy [26].