Basement membrane thickness in muscle capillaries of normal and spontaneously diabetic Macaca nigra

The thickness of the capillary basement membrane of femoral muscle was examined in normal and spontaneously diabetic Macaca nigra. Thickness correlated significangly with the degree and severity of diabetes; greater thickness was associated with decreased glucose tolerance, decreased serum insulin, and increased glucose and triglyceride. In normal monkeys, the average basement membrane thickness was 696 A and in diabetic monkeys, 837 A, The minimum basement membrane thickness was 524 A in normal monkeys and 634 A in diabetics. Normals differed significantly from diabetic monkeys.