Changes of corneal ultrastructure in early diabetic rats / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the changes of ultrastructure in early diabetic rat cornea and the pathogenesis of diabetic keratopathy. METHODS: 20 Sprague-Daxley rats were sacrificed 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks after induction of diabetes mellitus by streptoxotocin. 20 untreated rats at the same age were used as normal controls and were sacrificed at the same intervals. The ultrastructures of cornea were observed with transmission electronic microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: During the experimental period, the corneal ultrustructure of diabetic rats showed that epithelial and endothelial cells were swollen, the mitochondrions in the cytoplasm were swollen and increased. The collagen fibers appeared in disarrangement 10 weeks after streptoxotocin treatment. The endothelial of cornea was damaged from the periphery to the center gradually. CONCLUSION: The ultrastructural changes of cornea leads to dysfunction in streptoxotocin-induced diabetic rats, which may be related to the abnormal metabolism in hyperglycemia condition.