Figure 4.

Effects of FXT on retinal microvascular morphology in STZ rats. Diabetic rats received a single dose of 60 mg/kg STZ by i.p. Control rats received vehicle. After one week, STZ rats with blood glucose levels greater than 16.7 mmol/L were assigned into STZ group, FXT 0.525 g/kg group, and FXT 1.05 g/kg group. FXT-diabetic rats received FXT 0.525 g/kg or FXT 1.05 g/kg by ig once daily for consecutively 24 weeks. The retina were prepared with trypsin digestion and stained with haematoxylin and Periodic Acid-Schiff stain. Typical retinal microvascular staining was shown in Figure 4. Vasodilatations in the retinal venula (arrow) and acellular capillaries (double arrow) were observed in STZ rats. Treatment with FXT 1.05 g/kg inhibited the venular dilation and reduced the number of acellular capillaries.