Intraocular barrier permeability in spontaneously diabetic Chinese hamster

Fluorophotometry was performed with normal and spontaneously diabetic Chinese hamsters (CHAD) in order to investigate differences in blood-ocular barrier permeability and lens autofluorescence. Blood-aqueous barrier permeability was evaluated by the fluorescence value in the anterior chamber which was corrected using both autofluorescence value and the concentration of fluorescein in the plasma. The results showed that the diabetic group had significantly higher values than the normal group (p less than 0.01). Blood-retinal barrier permeability was evaluated in the vitreous by the same method. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Lens autofluorescence values were also significantly higher for the diabetic group compared with the normal group (p less than 0.001). In these spontaneously diabetic Chinese hamsters, the permeability function of the blood-retinal barrier seemed to be maintained its normal level, while both the blood-aqueous barrier and lens were damaged by deleterious effects of diabetes.