Time-Dependent Alterations in Rat Macrovessels with Type 1 Diabetes

Table 3

Diabetes-induced changes in the femoral artery: mimicked the changes in the aorta with the exception of the SMC/ECM area which was statistically higher in the femoral artery of the 50-day diabetic animals, but not in the aorta. Heterochromatin was less in the diabetic samples at 150-days. Lipid droplet density was statistically greater in the diabetic group at 150 days. Finally the elastin band width was greater in the diabetic group throughout the study duration.

	Duration of diabetes
Experimental group	50 day		100 day		150 day
	Control	Diabetic	Control	Diabetic	Control	Diabetic
SMC area (percent of vessel wall)	45.0±2.7	62.2±3.3; 𝑃<0.04	60.8±10.6	47.5±2.6	67.0±3.9	62.7±5.3
SMC area/ECM area (ratio)	0.86±0.09	1.73±0.24; 𝑃<0.009	1.76±0.75	0.93±0.10	2.17±0.30	2.17±0.30
Nuclear/cytoplasmic area (ratio)	0.066±0.029	0.066±0.022	0.132±0.108	0.049±0.014	0.031±0.012	0.0470±0.021
Heterochromatin (% of nuclear area)	40±2	31±3; 𝑃<0.05	33±1	37±4	32±4	31±1
Invaginations per nuclear envelope	0.24±0.16	2.17±0.54	1.03±0.20	0.50±0.25	0.79±0.42	3.00±1.06
Lipid Droplets/area	0.8889±0.3889	2.300±0.8825	0.4286±0.1727	1.0417±0.2210	1.6667±0.3885	3.2857±0.6100; 𝑃<0.034
Elastin band width	0.9614±0.0336	1.1556±0.0305; 𝑃<0.001	0.8764±0.0316	1.0072±0.0302; 𝑃<0.01	0.4072±0.0202	0.6662±0.0192; 𝑃<0.001