Diabetes Mellitus Affects Biomechanical Properties of the Optic Nerve Head in the Rat

Abstract

In contrast to the ppSc, the ONH of diabetic rats showed a significant increase in stiffness compared to nondiabetic rats, which might be explained by nonenzymatic collagen cross-linking mediated by advanced glycation end products due to high blood glucose levels in diabetes. Further studies are needed to investigate if these biomechanical changes represent a detrimental risk factor for intraocular pressure regulation in diabetic glaucoma patients.