Melatonin Affects Mitochondrial Fission/Fusion Dynamics in the Diabetic Retina

Figure 3

Daily treatments with melatonin did not improve STZ-induced diabetic conditions in body weights and systemic hyperglycemia. One week after STZ injections, some STZ-injected mice were given daily melatonin via oral gavage (STZ+MEL). (a) STZ-induced diabetic mice (STZ) with or without melatonin treatments gained weight more slowly starting 1 week after STZ injections compared to the control mice injected with citric buffer (CON). Three months after melatonin treatment, the average body weights of STZ+MEL mice or STZ mice were lower than those of the control mice (). There was no statistical difference between the CON and melatonin-treated (MEL) groups. (b) The STZ and STZ+MEL mice had significantly higher systemic blood glucose levels than the CON or MEL (). The blood glucose levels of STZ+MEL mice were higher than those of STZ mice (#) after 3 months post-STZ injection. denotes a statistical significance compared to the control mice (CON); # denotes a statistical significance compared to the STZ mice. .

(a)

(b)