Acarbose partially inhibits microvascular retinopathy in the Zucker diabetic fatty rat (ZDF/Gmi(TM)-(fa)under-bar)

We compared quantitative capillary retinopathic changes between non-insulin -dependent diabetic Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats and heterozygous nondi abetic Zucker controls and evaluated the effect of an orally administered g lucosidase inhibitor, acarbose, on retinopathy in these animals. Four group s of eight rats were analyzed: treated and untreated ZDF and treated and un treated Zuckers. Retinal capillary basement membrane thickening and retinal capillary cell density were determined from transmission electron microsco py and trypsin digestion preparations. ZDF rats had thicker basement membranes (p<0.0001) and more cells per unit capillary length (p=0.0003) compared to Zuckers. Acarbose treatment signifi cantly reduced basement membrane thickening in the treated ZDF rats (p=0.00 1), but the effects on cell density showed only a favorable trend. Acarbose treatment has an ameliorative effect on the development of microvascular r etinopathy in the ZDF rat, probably due to lessening of hyperglycemia.