Increase in vascular permeability in diabetic athymic nude rats is alleviated with intravitreal ASC injection.

<p>(A) Two months post diabetes induction or age matched normal rats were injected intravitreally with saline (n = 8–10/group) or ASC (n = 6–8/group; 250,000 cells in 2 µL of saline). At day 7, rats were injected with 100 mg/kg of FITC-BSA via tail vein. After 1hr, rats were euthanized and perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde, and eyes enucleated and embedded. About ten 10 µm sections of equal area were analyzed for FITC fluorescence and normalized to total plasma fluorescence. A significant (**p<0.01) increase in leakage in diabetic rats was alleviated by ASC injection. Representative immunofluorescence image of a diabetic retina received saline (B) and diabetic retina treated with ASC (C) showing leakage (20× original magnifications). RFU = Relative fluorescence units.