DOI 10.1007/s00125-006-0174-y ARTICLE

tochondrial overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is central to the pathogenesis of endothelial damage in diabetes. R-(+)-α-lipoic acid has advantages over classic antioxidants, as it distributes to the mito-chondria, is regenerated by glycolytic flux, and has a low redox potential. Methods: To assess the effect of R-(+)-α-lipoic acid on experimental diabetic retinopathy, three groups of male Wistar rats were studied: non-diabetic controls, untreated diabetic controls, and diabetic rats treated with 60 mg/kg bodyweight R-(+)-α-lipoic acid i.p. for 30 weeks. Quantitative retinal morphometry included acellular occluded capillaries and pericyte numbers. The effects of R-(+)-α-lipoic acid on param-eters of oxidative and nitrative stress, AGE and its receptor and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) wer