Sorbitol-Induced Diabetic-Like Retinal Lesions in Rats: Microscopic Study

The present study investigated the sorbitol toxicity on the retinas of normal albino rats and founded by the light microscope that intra-peritoneal injection of Sorbitol (10-mg/kg-body weight per day) for 24 weeks produced similar diabetic like retinal lesions in these rats. The retinopathic effects of sorbitol injection affect retinal microvessels, pigment epithelium, neural retina and glial cells. Cytoplasmic vacuolation of the pigment epithelium and oedema of the neural retinal cells were evident. Microvascular abnormalities include thick-walled, elongated and dilated blood capillaries. The abnormal capillaries showed aneurysms and were occluded with deformed, fragmented, and adherent blood cells. Another finding was the pyknosis of glial cells. The present investigation concluded that sorbitol is toxic to the retinal tissue and it may play a role in the setup of diabetic retinopathy.