Reduced negative surface charge on arterial endothelium of diabetic rats.

Cationized ferritin binding was used to measure negative surface charge on endothelium of large arteries in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and normal control rats. The negative charge was significantly lower in the diabetic animals (p less than 0.01). This change, possibly related to glycosylation, may lead to altered vascular permeability and may be of importance in the vascular pathology of diabetes.