Ocular Complications

Ocular complications of diabetes in humans are reviewed briefly, and experimental models available for study of the complications are described. Potentially suitable models include not only diabetic animals, but also nondiabetic animals in which analogous lesions have been demonstrated. Many abnormalities of the lens, cornea, iris, and retina comparable to those of diabetes in humans may be observed in diabetic animals, although all abnormalities are not necessarily observed in every species. Retinal changes, in particular, may occur in diabetic animals of several species, but only in large animals (dogs, primates) have saccular capillary aneurysms been reproduced consistently, together with other retinal changes typical of diabetes in humans. A few examples of the uses of animal models are offered, and attention is called to a lack of animal models of proliferative diabetic retinqpathy and of rubeosis iridiS.