title: Pancreatic islet transplantation ameliorates the effect of diabetes on retinal capillary endothelial cell kinetics.
abstract: Perturbations in capillary endothelial cell function are early events in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. We used tritiated thymidine autoradiography to study the turn-over rate of retinal capillary endothelial cells in retinovascular preparations from normal, untreated diabetic and diabetic mice treated with pancreatic islet-cell transplants. Capillary endothelial cell turnover was significantly increased in poorly controlled diabetes and this increase was reduced by islet-cell transplantation. The prevention of excessive endothelial cell replication by tight control of hyperglycemia may help prevent the characteristic structural changes of diabetic microangiopathy, such as basement membrane accumulation.
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cuthbertson
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Mandel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight; D002455:Cell Division; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000601:surgery*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006454:Hemoglobins