Early inner retinal dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

PURPOSE. Diabetes is known to alter retinal function, as measured with the electroretinogram (ERG), which shows a propensity toward inner retinal oscillatory potential (OPs) abnormalities. However, the effect that diabetes has on other ganglion cell-related responses is not known. This study was a systematic evaluation of streptozotocin (STZ) diabetes-related ERG changes in rats for the first 11 weeks after diabetogenesis. METHODS. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to treated (50 mg/kg STZ (n = 16) and control groups (1 mL/kg citrate buffer, n = 14) at 6 weeks of age. Two control animals and four STZ animals were excluded because of blood glucose criteria or systemic complica..