Diabetic Microangiopathy

Neural apoptosis in the retina during experimental and human diabetes. Early onset and effect of insulin.

“…The histological location of TUNEL-positive cells and lack of colocalization with von Willebrand factor further suggest that neuronal and/or glial cell apoptosis occurs in the retina in diabetes. Viewed in the light of previous observations of neuronal cell death in diabetes (7)(8)(9), these data strongly suggest that neuronal cells begin to die soon after the onset of experimental diabetes in rats. They also confirm another brief observation of apoptosis in retinas of humans with diabetes, which were included in the control group of a study reporting apoptosis in open angle glaucoma (23).…”

“…Atrophy of ganglion cells and degeneration of the inner nuclear layer in the retinas of humans with diabetes was described by Wolter (7), who suggested that the gradual loss of neurons begins early in diabetes and that this degeneration may be a primary pathology that gives rise to vascular changes. Degeneration of the inner plexiform and ganglion cell layers was also described by Bloodworth in a histological study of 295 postmortem human eyes (8). The study described pyknosis and fragmentation of ganglion cell nuclei, features which are now recognized as typical characteristics of apoptosis.…”

Capillary basement membrane structure: a comparative study of diabetics and sexual ateliotic dwarfs

“…As indicated in a previous publication, in neither group could insulin secretion be correlated with obesity, age, or sex (7,8). Results of the glucose tolerance tests are given in Table II (13,14). These vessels are characterized anatomically by increased width of the basement membrane and deposition of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positive material.…”

Search for a biochemical basis of diabetic microangiopathy

“…Subsequently basement membrane changes were observed in the capillaries of a variety of other tissues of the diabetic including muscle [3], skin [4], retina [5] and ciliary processes of the eye [6].…”