Fluorophotometry. III. Streptozocin-treated rats and rats with pancreatectomy.

To determine whether elevated vitreous fluorescence levels are a result of a direct ocular toxic effect of streptozocin or a consequence of the diabetic state, we compared hyperglycemic streptozocin- and insulin-treated or non-insulin-treated rats, hyperglycemia rats with pancreatectomy, and normal rats. Streptozocin, 65 mg/kg, was injected intravenously in one group of hooded rats, and pancreatectomy was performed on another group of hooded rats. Eight to 16 days later, fluorescein sodium, 16.6 mg/kg, was injected in the femoral vein of 21 hyperglycemic rats and 18 normal animals. One hour later, the aqueous, vitreous, and plasma fluorescence levels were measured using fluorophotometry. We did not find a significant difference between vitreous fluorescence levels of the hyperglycemic streptozocin- and insulin-treated or non-insulin-treated and normal rats. Moreover, we did not find a significant difference between the vitreous fluorescence of hyperglycemic rats with pancreatectomy and normal rats.