Directed by Dr. Eva Feldman, Dr. David Antonetti and Dr. Jeffrey Hodgin,  the Microvascular Complications Core provides a complete range of microvascular phenotyping of murine models of diabetes, obesity and metabolic disease; including validated, reproducible and standardized phenotyping of the 3 major microvascular complications: diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN), nephropathy (DN) and retinopathy (DR). 

 

DPN advanced testing will include phenotyping of models exhibiting neuropathy such as measures of cell death and oxidative stress in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and peripheral nerve. 

 

DN advanced phenotyping will include measures of podocyte number, precise morphometric analysis of glomerular expansion, glomerular volume and tubulointerstitial fibrosis, EM morphometry of podocyte foot processes, immunohistochemical analysis of podocyte specific proteins, and glomerular isolation. 

 

DR advanced testing will include measures of retinal vascular permeability, retinal cell death and non-lethal measures of retinal morphology using optical coherence tomography and visual function using optokinetic response.