Development of electroretinographic alterations in 9-week-old experimental diabetic rats was studied for up to 6 weeks after a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg/ kg). The amplitudes and the peak latencies of the a and b waves in the diabetic rats did not differ significantly from those in the control rats. In contrast, the diabetic rats showed a significantly smaller amplitude of the second oscillatory potential (OP) 6 weeks after STZ treatment, and furthermore significantly delayed OP peaks as early as 2–3 weeks after STZ treatment. Vitreous fluorophotometric abnormality developed 6 weeks after STZ treatment. None of the diabetic rats had fundus angiographic changes. These results suggest that hyperglycemia or its related changes rapidly affects the light-induced electrical activities of the retina.
New clinical methods are proposed to assess (1) neuronal activities of the retinal inner layers including amacrine cells by means of the oscillatory potential, (2) photopic function through the rapid decay in the off-response and (3) activities of the retinal pigment epithelium through susceptibility of the standing potential of the eye to osmotic stress and to Diamox. These new methods are able to reveal otherwise undetectable retinal disorders.
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