This study compared the effect of glycemie control with insulin to that of the aldose reductase inhibitor ponalrestat on capillary basement membrane thickening in the retinas of diabetic BB rats. Diabetic animals with or without ponalrestat treatment were compared with diabetic rats subjected to vigorous insulin therapy or nondiabetic control rats with or without ponalrestat treatment after 6 mo of follow-up. Untreated diabetic animals showed the characteristic capillary basement membrane thickening in both the superficial and deep capillary beds of the retina. Vigorous blood glucose control with insulin therapy was accompanied by a complete prevention of capillary basement membrane thickening in both capillary beds, whereas aldose reductase inhibitor treatment achieved a complete prevention of basement membrane thickening in the deep capillary bed but not in the superficial capillary bed of the diabetic retina. These findings suggest that the mechanisms responsible for capillary basement membrane thickening in diabetes may be varied and modulated by topographical peculiarities in various capillary beds.
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Original Articles|
September 01 1989
Effect of Aldose Reductase Inhibition and Insulin Treatment on Retinal Capillary Basement Membrane Thickening in BB Rats
Subrata Chakrabarti;
Subrata Chakrabarti
Neuropathology Research Laboratory, Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Anders A F Sima
Anders A F Sima
Neuropathology Research Laboratory, Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. A.A.F. Sima, Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba, Faculty of Medicine, 236-770 Ban-natyne Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0W3, Canada.
Diabetes 1989;38(9):1181–1186
Article history
Received:
September 27 1988
Revision Received:
May 05 1989
Accepted:
May 05 1989
PubMed:
2504638
Citation
Subrata Chakrabarti, Anders A F Sima; Effect of Aldose Reductase Inhibition and Insulin Treatment on Retinal Capillary Basement Membrane Thickening in BB Rats. Diabetes 1 September 1989; 38 (9): 1181–1186. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.38.9.1181
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