Aims
We investigated the changes of retinal structure in normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), diabetes mellitus (DM), and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) stages in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats.
Conclusion
Significant retinal neuropathy occurs in the IGT stage. Inflammation and hypoxia may damage the blood retina barrier (BRB), leading to diabetic retinopathy.
Methods
We assigned OLETF rats to four groups based on their OGTT
Results
Significant damage to the retinal structure, especially in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), was observed in the IGT stage. The expression of HIF-1α, iNOS, NF-κB, VEGF, and ICAM-1 was significantly upregulated, while that of occludin was downregulated.