Clinicopathologic study of blood-retinal barrier in experimental diabetes mellitus.

Rats with experimental diabetes (induced by streptozocin [Streptozotocin]) were studied by vitreous fluorophotometry and horseradish peroxidase tracer technique. Vitreous fluorescein sodium concentration notably increased four to eight days after a single dose of streptozocin. No leakage from the retinal vasculature could be demonstrated by the horseradish peroxidase tracer study, but three types of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) lesions were observed. The RPE lesions seemed to be partially responsible for the increase of vitreous fluorescein concentration.