FIG. 5.

Neutrophils are a major contributor to endothelial death and vascular degeneration in diabetes. A: In vitro killing of mRECs by leukocytes isolated from WT diabetic mice was significantly reduced when the leukocytes were immunodepleted of Ly6G⁺ or CD115⁺ cells (white bars; n = 8), or when leukocytes were isolated from diabetic G-CSFR^−/−→WT chimeras (not immunodepleted) (black bars; n = 3). The diabetes-induced increase in endothelial death due to incubation with leukocytes from each experimental group (i) was set to 100% by the formula (SD_i − ND_i)/(Avg[SD_WT] − Avg[ND_WT]). B: Chimeric mice lacking the receptor for G-CSFR in marrow-derived cells were protected from diabetes-induced degeneration of retinal capillaries (30 weeks duration of diabetes; n = 4). White bars, nondiabetic; black bars, diabetic.