ATTENUATION OF DIABETIC-RETINOPATHY BY THE MOLECULAR CHAPERONE-INDUCER AMINO-ACID ANALOG CANAVANINE IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-DIABETIC RATS

The effect of canavanine treatment on the electroretinograms of health y and streptozotocin-diabetic rats was studied. The characteristic amp litudes of the a-wave. W-2 and W-3 oscillatory potentials were markedl y diminished in the 2-week streptozotocin-diabetic rats compared with those of the control rats. In contrast, the amplitudes of all the resp onses of the canavanine-pretreated streptozotocin-diabetic rats were p ractically indistinguishable from those of the control animals. Our re sults prompt further investigations for the use of amino acid analogue s and other inducers of molecular chaperones in easing the chronic con sequences of diabetes such as retinopathy.