Abstract
The Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) rat, a nonobese type 2 diabetes model, develops severe diabetic retinopathy as result of chronic severe hyperglycemia. Although existing diabetes animal models also develop ocular complications, severe retinal lesions frequently observed in human diabetes patients such as preretinal neovascularization or retinal detachment are not found. Distinctive features in SDT rat are hypermature cataract, tractional retinal detachment with fibrous proliferation, and massive hemorrhaging in the anterior chamber. These pathophysiological changes are caused by sustained hyperglycemic condition and subsequent increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in retina, iris, and ciliary body. Although some differences in diabetic retinopathy exist between SDT rats and humans (e.g., a low incidence of neovascular formation and poor development of nonperfused area are found in this animal), SDT rat will be a useful model in studies of the pathogenesis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy.
Highlights
Many animal models have been used in research into diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications
The histopathological changes of lens were preceded by an increase in lens sorbitol content. These findings clearly indicate that cataract in Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) rat is due to sustained hyperglycemia
These findings that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor (PEDF) expressions were both up-regulated in SDT rat retinae are different from the human diabetic retinopathy (DR) with low levels of PEDF [45], and the high PEDF levels in retina may have contributed to a low incidence of neovascular formation and poor development of nonperfused area in DR of SDT rat
Summary
Many animal models have been used in research into diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications. Genetic models of DM such as Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice [2], Bio-Breeding (BB) rats [3], ob/ob mice [4], db/db mice [5], Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats [6], Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats [7], and Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats [8] are used commonly These model animals develop either type 1 (T1D) or type 2 (T2D) diabetes and subsequent ocular complications, severe retinal lesions frequently observed in human diabetes patients such as preretinal neovascularization or retinal detachment are not found; early pathological changes such as pericyte loss [9, 10], early biophysiological changes such as retinal leukostasis [11], and abnormal pattern in electroretinogram (ERG) [12] are observed, at most. In the present short paper, pathophysiological characteristics of ocular complications in SDT rat are outlined
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