Oxygen tension and blood flow in the retina of normal and diabetic rats.

The use of microelectrode techniques for studying oxygen distribution and blood flow in the eye of a physiologically well maintained rat provides a very convenient model in which to study oxygen supply to the retina. The availability of rat models of vascular disease such as diabetes and hypertension, and the existence of several models of retinal degeneration, make studies of oxygen supply in the rat eye of particular relevance. The experiments reported in this paper demonstrate changes in oxygen distribution and blood flow very early in STZ induced diabetes. Thus, we have established a preparation in which the role of changes in oxygen supply can be correlated with the pathological events that are apparent later in the disease.