Objective 　To observe the effect of diabetic retinopathy on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from peripheral blood. Methods 　Sixty male Wistar rats were divided into control group and diabetes group. The rats in diabetes group were induced with streptozotocin (STZ) injection for diabetic retinopathy model. Flow cytometry was used to identify and count the number of EPCs from peripheral blood at 1 week, 1, 3 and 6 months after injection. All eyeballs were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, periodic acidSchiff's (PAS) staining of trypsin-digested retinal vessels flat preparation and transmission electron microscope. EPCs count, and the relationship between DR morphological changes and EPCs count were compared and analyzed. Results 　The quantity of EPCs from peripheral blood at 1 week, 1, 3 and 6 months after STZ injection were 25 plusmn;7, 28 plusmn;8, 39 plusmn;7, 43 plusmn;7 cells per 200 000 monocytes respectively, which decreased compared with the control group 45 plusmn;4 cells per 200 000 monocytes (F=8.933，P lt;0.01). The quantity of EPCs was gradually increased at 1 week, 1, 3 and 6 months after STZ injection, accompanied with responsive pathological changes of retinal structure and vessels. The thickness of retina at 1 week and 1 month after injection were reduced slightly. The number of retinal ganglion cells reduced, with the time passing by. Endothelial cells were edema, mitochondrial was swollen, capillary basement membrane was thicken, lumen was significant stenosis, lumen occlusion and retinal artery aneurysm were observed at 6 months after STZ injection. Conclusion 　The number of EPCs increases gradually throughout the development of DR.

Citation： 焦明菲,颜华. Effect of diabetic retinopathy on the quantity of endothelial progenitor cells from peripheral blood in rats. Chinese Journal of Ocular Fundus Diseases, 2011, 27(3): 250-254. doi: Copy