Fig. 6

Neovascularization in diabetic Nile rats. a The spatial orientation of pre-retinal neovascularization in a rat with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Using Imaris software, a smoothened surface was created from an isolated retinal artery stained with Col IV. The superficial retinal vessels were artificially colored in green and the pre-retinal neovascularization colored in red. b Uneven caliber of retinal artery in a diabetic retina, highlighted by brackets and neovascularization, highlighted by multiple arrows, which is denser around the retinal vein. A = central retinal artery. V = central retinal vein. c An age-matched control of panel (b). d Fibrotic tissue and neovascularization around the optic nerve head at the top right corner. Col IV highlights the neovascularization and NG2 highlights the absence of pericytes. e An age-matched control of panel (d). Panels (b), (d), and (f) are from the same diabetic retina. f A retinal trypsin digest micrograph. g An age-matched control of panel (f). CL = capillary loop. PG = pericyte ghost. MA = microaneurysm. E = endothelial cell. P = pericyte. Scale bar = 50 μm. Orange outline = diabetic retinopathy. Blue outline = control