J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  1999 Nov;40(11):3088-3095.

The Changes of the Retinal Capillary Basement Membrane in Rats with the Impaired Glucose Tolerance

• Choi YJ
• Lee SJ
• Hwang TS

Abstract

We studied the changes of the retinal capillary in rats with impaired glucose tolerance[IGT]. We measured the thickness of the basement membrane of the retinal capillary endothelial cells and the capillary pericytes in the streptozotocin-induced IGT rats, and the results were compaired with those of normal control rats. Morphologic alterations of the retinal capillary were examined electron microscopically in the pre-IGT, 14 weeks and 21 weeks aged IGT rats. The basement membrane of the capillary pericyte and endothelial cell became thicker as getting older in both impaired glucose tolerance and control groups. Comparing with the endothelial basement membrane, the pericyte basement membrane became significantly thickened at 21 weeks aged IGT rats[p<0.01]. The degree of thickeness of the endothelial basement membrane was 132.0% for the control group and 140.4% for the IGT group. As for the pericyte basement membrane, the control group showed a thickening of 65.1% and the IGT group of 120.2%. The change was more prominent in the pericyte basement membrane of IGT rats. In both groups, some degenerative changes and thickening of the basement membrane were visible, but these lesions were found to be more prominent in IGT group.

Keyword

Capillary basement membrane; Endothelial cell; Impaired glucose tolerance; Pericyte

MeSH Terms

Animals
Basement Membrane*
Capillaries*
Endothelial Cells
Glucose*
Pericytes
Rats*
Retinaldehyde*
Glucose
Retinaldehyde