Significant retinal capillary basement membrane thickening in hyperglycemic and normoglycemic diabetic-prone (DP) BB Wistar rats.

摘要

The diabetic-prone BioBreeding Wistar (BB/DP) rat is an autoimmune model of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Approximately 90% of the animals (BB/DPh) are hyperglycemic by 90-120 days of age, while the remaining ~10% (BB/DPn) and diabetes-resistant rats (BB/DR) are normoglycemic for life. The transmission electron microscope data from this study demonstrate expected significant age- and diabetes-related increases in retinal capillary basement membrane (RCBM) widths in (BB/DPh) rats relative to BB/DR animals. However, the data show, for the first time, an unexpected significant RCBM thickening in (BB/DPn) rats compared to BB/DR animals at 6 months and 1 year post-onset of hyperglycemia.