title: [An observation on early morphological changes in retinal microvascular vessels in diabetic rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the morphological changes of retinal microcirculation in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats and the contribution of leukocyte to diabetic retinopathy (DR).
  
  
  METHODS
  12 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group, 3 month group and 6 month group of STZ-diabetic rats. Each group was perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde and fixed. Rat retina digest preparations were observed by light microscope, and the number of pericyte was counted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The decrease of pericytes in STZ-diabetic rats was remarkable compared with that of normal control at 6 months. At 6 months, STZ-diabetic rat retinal digest preparations showed that some of the capillaries were blocked by leukocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After injection of STZ in rats for 6 months, early morphological changes of DR were observed, and leukocytes played a potential role in the pathogenesis of DR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000473:pathology*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D020286:Pericytes / Q000473:pathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*