Ultrastructural features of retinal capillary basement membrane thickening in diabetic swine.
OBJECTIVE
To assess retinal capillary basement membrane thickening (BMT) in a swine model of type 1 diabetes.


METHODS
Yorkshire pigs were rendered diabetic with streptozotocin and dyslipidemic with a high fat and cholesterol diet. At 18, 26, and 32 weeks of diabetes, the retina sections within 3 disc diameters from the optic disc were examined under transmission electron microscopy to evaluate the ultrastructural features of the capillary BM. Digital morphometric analysis was performed to measure BMT.


RESULTS
Diabetic swine had significantly thicker retinal capillary BMs compared to controls. Pigs that sustained diabetes for longer periods or experienced severe diabetes tended to have more BMT. Those pigs that did not sustain glucose levels above 200 mg/dL did not demonstrate thicker retinal capillary BMs. Characteristic ultrastructural features of diabetic vasculopathy observed included rarefaction as an early stage of Swiss cheese cavitation, lamellation with multiplication of electron dense layers, and fibrillar materials within capillary BM.


CONCLUSIONS
Diabetic Yorkshire pigs develop characteristic features of an early retinal microvasculopathy fairly rapidly and may serve as a higher-order animal model for studies of type 1 diabetes.
Lee
Song Eun
SE
Department of Ophthalmology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Ma
Wanchao
W
Rattigan
Eileen M
EM
Aleshin
Alexey
A
Chen
Liqun
L
Johnson
Lynne L
LL
D'Agati
Vivette D
VD
Schmidt
Ann Marie
AM
Barile
Gaetano R
GR
D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001835:Body Weight; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005508:Food Deprivation; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013311:Streptozocin; D013552:Swine
D001786:Blood Glucose; D013311:Streptozocin