Figure 2. Inhibition of diabetes-induced acellular capillary formation and pericyte loss in chimeric mice with circulating 5LO−/− leukocytes.

(A) Acellular capillaries (upper red arrow) and pericyte ghosts (lower red arrow) were quantitated in eight fields in the mid-retina (400× original magnification) in a masked manner. (B and C) Diabetic mice with WT circulating leukocytes (black bars) demonstrated a significant increase in the number of acellular capillaries (B) and pericyte loss (C) compared with matched ND control mice (white bars; *P<0.005), whereas diabetic chimeric mice with circulating 5LO−/− leukocytes were protected from the diabetes-induced increase in acellular capillary formation and pericyte loss despite a similar degree of hyperglycemia over the 9-month diabetes duration (gray bars; **P<0.05). Data represent eight to 12 mice/group.