The Role of the Adrenal Cortex and Vitamin B12 in Diabetic Retinopathy*

Metabolic and Endocrine Aspects of Diabetic Nephropathy

“…lesion could be produced in alloxan-diabetic rabbits by the injection of corticotrophin or cortisone. Becker, Allen, et al (1954), Becker, Maengwyn-Davies et al (1954), and Maengwyn-Davies (1956) gave fturther evidence of excessive production of adrenal glucocorticoids in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Becker et al (1953) also reported a disturbance of vitamin B, 2 metabolism in patients with diabetic retinopathy.…”

“…It is claimed that many of these disturbances have a pathogenic relationship with the development of the vascular complications. Becker (1952) gave evidence of excessive adrenal cortical function in diabetics with retinopathy and Kimmelstiel-Wilson (K.W.) lesions.…”

Pharmacology and Toxicology

“…These have included the ob¬ servation that a larger portion of a test dose of vitamin Bt2 is excreted by a diabetic pa¬ tient with retinopathy than by one without. 354 Likewise, Kimmelstiel-Wilson-like lesions are produced more readily by cortisone in experimental animals denied dietary vitamin B12. Diabetic retinopathy, however, is not a manifestation of vitamin deficiency, as the term is usually understood.…”

The Adrenal Cortex and B-Vitamins in Diabetic Retinopathy

“…As discussed previously, alloxan diabetes potentiated the cortisone-induced renal lesions in the rabbit (Table 8). Since an abnormal retention of a test dose of vitamin B-12 was found to be associated with the diabetic state both in animals and in man, Becker and coworkers 74 investigated the effect of the omission of supplementary vitamin B-12 and aureomycin from the diets of cortisone-treated (8 mg./day) nonalloxanized rabbits. Under such experimental conditions, the incidence of renal lesions rose to almost 100 per cent (Table 12).…”