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Retinal capillary junctions: Ultrastructural tight junction artefacts induced by sodium ions and membrane reduction in streptozotocin diabetes

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Summary

Retinal capillary junctions were analysed in normal and diabetic rats and in a human retina with the electron microscope. Diabetes mellitus was induced with Streptozotocin. The retinae were fixed in Palade's osmium tetroxide containing sodium or calcium ions and block-stained in uranyl acetate.

With Ca-fixation, no significant difference in interendothelial cleft width was detected between retinal layers or between normal and diabetic retinae. Diabetes caused a narrowing of the clefts in the Na-fixed tissue (X±SE, n=375; Normal: 78.6±3.00 Å; Diabetic: 57.7 ±2.42 Å; p≪0.001). A significant correlation was found between cleft width and the length of the tight junctions or zonulae occludentes (p<0.001). In the nerve fibre layer of the Nadiabetio retina, where cleft narrowing was greatest, there was an increase in length of the zonulae occludentes from 22.8±2.2% to 41.6±3.7% (p<0.001). Ca-fixation prevented these changes, indicating that at least some zonulae occludentes were interendothelial extraction artefacts.

In the normal retina, endothelial cell membrane thickness was greater with Ca-than Na-fixation (p<0.001). Diabetes caused a decrease in membrane thickness of Ca-fixed tissue (p<0.001). The diabetic decrease in membrane thickness may explain the increased fragility and increased permeability of diabetic capillaries. Calcium binding by endothelial cell membranes is of primary importance in anticoagulation which is defective in diabetes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electron Microscope Unit, Department of Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia

    Leo Sosula

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  1. Leo Sosula
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Work supported by a grant from the Taverna Estate and The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, N.S.W., Australia. Presented in part at the 8th International Congress on Electron Microscopy held in Canberra, A.C.T., Australia, 1974.

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Sosula, L. Retinal capillary junctions: Ultrastructural tight junction artefacts induced by sodium ions and membrane reduction in streptozotocin diabetes. Cell Tissue Res. 161, 393–411 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00220007

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