Retinal capillary junctions: ultrastructural tight junction artefacts induced by sodium ions and membrane reduction in streptozotocin diabetes.

Retinal capillary junctions were analysed in normal and diabetic rats and in a human retina with the electron microscope. Diabetes mellitus was induced with streptozotocin. The retinae were fixed in Palade's osmium tetroxide containing sodium or calcium ions and block-stained in uranyl acetate. With Ca-fixation, no significant difference in interendothelial cleft width was detected between retinal layers or between normal and diabetic retinae. Diabetes caused a narrowing of the clefts in the Na-fixed tissue X +/- SE, n=375; Normal: 78.6 +/- 300 A; Diabetic: 57.7 +/- 2.42 A; p less than 0.001). A significant correlation was found between cleft width and the length of the tight junctions or zonulae occludentes (p less than 0.001). In the nerve fibre layer of the Na-diabetic retina, where cleft narrowing was greatest, there was an increase in length of the zonulae occludentes from 22.8 +/- 2.2% to 41.6 +/- 3.7% (p less than 0.001). Ca-fixation prevented these changes, indicating that at least some zonulae occludentes were interendothelial extraction artefacts. In the normal retina, endothelial cell membrane thickness was greater with Ca- than Na-fixation (p less than 0.001). Diabetes caused a decrease in membrane thickness of Ca-fixed tissue (p less than 0.001). The diabetic decrease in membrane thickness may explain the increased fragility and increased permeability of diabetic capillaries. Calcium binding by endothelial cell membranes is of primary importance in anticoagulation which is defective in diabetes.