Pancreatic islet allograft prevents basement membrane thickening in the diabetic rat retina.
Progressive basement membrane thickening is a characteristic structural abnormality in diabetic tissues including the retina. We examined the effect of pancreatic islet allotransplantation on basement membrane thickening and irregularities in retinal capillaries of the streptozotocin-diabetic rat. Diabetic animals received intraportal or intracerebral pancreatic islet allografts. Animals with functioning allografts demonstrated euglycaemia and a normal body weight gain during the 400-day post-transplantation period. The characteristic thickening of capillary basement membranes was completely prevented in animals with successful transplantation. The present findings suggest that islet allotransplantation may be a rational therapeutic approach in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and the prevention of ensuing secondary complications.
D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012160:Retina / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous