Induction of Type 2 Diabetes in Mice to Understand Vascular Changes That Drive Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of type 2 diabetes. Research into this comorbidity is challenging due to the slow progression of pathological changes and the limited transgenic models available to study disease progression and mechanistic changes. Here, we describe a non-transgenic mouse model of accelerated type 2 diabetes using a high-fat diet in combination with streptozotocin delivered via osmotic mini pump. This model, when subjected to fluorescent gelatin vascular casting, can be used to study vascular changes in type 2 diabetic retinopathy.