Kinetic vitreous fluorophotometry in experimental diabetes.

Kinetic vitreous fluorophotometry was used to measure dynamic alterations in blood-retinal barrier function. Normal hooded rats were compared with diabetic animals before and after insulin treatment. Rats with streptozocin-induced diabetes demonstrated significantly longer (P less than .001) half-periods of fluorescein loss from the vitreous when compared with controls, and insulin treatment significantly reduced (P less than .001) the mean half-period toward control values without normalization of serum glucose. These results suggest that kinetic vitreous fluorophotometry is a good indicator of blood-retinal barrier function and that sufficient amounts of insulin may be more important than normal blood glucose levels in recovery of altered barrier function in diabetes.