Studies on the retina of the diabetic db/db mouse. I. Endothelial cell-pericyte ratio.
The genetically diabetic db/db mouse is a model of type-2 diabetes, where nephropathy and neuropathy, but not retinopathy were observed. The authors studied the retinas (trypsin digestion technique) of 16 db/db mice and 16 age-matched litter mates (db/m; controls), divided into five age groups. They noted a marked increase in the ratio of endothelial cells to intramural pericytes in diabetic mice compared to controls. This increase resulted from a selective and highly significant loss of pericytes in db/db mice (p less than 0.05). Some strand-like and relatively acellular capillaries were also observed. The db/db mouse may represent an adequate model for studies on the pathogenesis of retinopathy.
Midena
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E
Institute of Ophthalmology, University of Padova, Italy.
Segato
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T
Radin
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S
di Giorgio
G
G
Meneghini
F
F
Piermarocchi
S
S
Belloni
A S
AS
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001835:Body Weight; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000473:pathology*; D004727:Endothelium / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008954:Models, Biological; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*
D001786:Blood Glucose