Figure 4. Comparison of the effects of severe diabetes on degeneration of retinal capillaries and retinal ganglion cells in diabetic
mice. C57Bl/6J mice diabetic for 10 months show capillary degeneration (A) evidenced by significantly increased acellular capillary formation in mice made diabetic with streptozocin (D STZ; n=5)
and in spontaneously diabetic Ins2Akita mice (D Ins2Akita; n=11) compared to the nondiabetic controls (N; n=9). No loss of
axons from optic nerve was observed between any of the diabetic animals compared to the nondiabetic controls, thus providing
no evidence for loss of retinal ganglion cells (B).