title: Retinal vascular changes and systemic diseases: corrosion cast demonstration.
abstract: The purpose of the present study is to clarify the specific retinal vascular changes in rat models of single spontaneous or hereditary systemic diseases. We used Wistar Kyoto (WKy) rats 6 months of age as normal controls, 24-month-old Wistar Kyoto rats in studies of aging, 16-month-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), 18-month-old rats with inherited hypercholesterolemia (RICO) for arteriosclerosis, and 18-month-old Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats for diabetes mellitus. Retinal vascular corrosion casts were made and observed with a scanning electron microscope. The retinal vessels were also examined with a transmission electron microscope. Specific changes in the retinal vessels were: narrowing and thin thread-like capillaries in aging; capillary tortuosity, irregularity and narrowing in hypertension; straightening in hypercholesterolemia; and loop formation and microaneurysms in diabetes mellitus. These specific changes in the retinal vessels in each systemic disease can be clearly and easily revealed in a three-dimensional fashion by corrosion casts followed by scanning electron microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan. tamemiya@net.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amemiya
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Bhutto
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016319:Corrosion Casting; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats; D020334:Rats, Inbred OLETF; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure