Scanning Electron Microscopic Observations of the Corrosion Casts on Retinal Vascular Architecture in WBN/Kob Rats

Abstract

WBN/Kob rats are a spontaneous diabetes animal model and develop a disturbance in the retinal photoreceptor cells at a young age. We studied the differences in retinal vascular architecture between young (14- to 23-week-old) and old (70-week-old) WBN/Kob rats and young (14- to 23-week old) and old (30-week-old) Wistar rats. Casts were prepared with Mercox CL-2R injected into the internal carotid artery.

No abnormal retinal vascular architecture was detected on the casts from Wistar rats at any age. However, narrowing of the venules and the imprints of particially stenosed capillaries were seen in 23-week-old WBN/Kob rats. Obvious depression of the venules at the arterio-venous crossing point and looseness of the capillary network were seen in 70-week-old WBN/Kob rats.