Figure 1. Cataract progression in STZ-diabetic rats treated with antioxidants based on biweekly scoring of lens opacity

Cataract formation was scored biweekly according to the following classification: clear normal lens (O), peripheral vesicles (I), peripheral vesicles and cortical opacities (II), diffuse central opacities (III), mature cataract (IV). A: Untreated diabetic rats (D; red). B: Diabetic rats treated with stobadine (0.05% w/w stobadine dipalmitate, D+STB; blue). C: Diabetic rats treated with vitamin E (0.1% w/w D,L-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, D+E; green). D: Diabetic rats treated with BHT (0.4% w/w t-butyl hydroxytoluene, D+BHT; violet). Statistical analysis of the data was done using the Mann-Whitney U-test. The single asterisk indicates a p<0.05, the double asterisk indicates a p<0.01, and the triple asterisk indicates a p<0.001 compared to untreated diabetic rats (D; red).