## 3 Results
### Diameter and Morphology of Red Blood Cells
The average RBC diameter of chronic diabetics was significantly higher (5.55 \(\pm\) 0.01 \(\upmu\)m, \(p\) \(<\) 0.0001) compared to that of the controls. In insulin-treated diabetics, the average RBC diameter decreased (5.38 \(\pm\) 0.01 \(\upmu\)m, \(p\) \(<\) 0.0001) compared to that of the controls, and this change (represented in Figure 3) resulted from an increase in the percentage of the 4 to 5 \(\upmu\)m ranges (19.1%) and a decrease in the percentage of the 6 to 7 \(\upmu\)m range (8.6%). The morphology of RBCs was examined on pictures from blood smears made at 1000\(\times\) magnification (Figure 4). Table 10 summarizes the morphological changes of RBCs in the chronic diabetic, insulin-treated diabetic, and the age-matched control groups. In the chronic diabetics, the eccentricoyte (Table 10, Figure 5a; \(p\) \(<\) 0.001), hemolyzed RBC (Table 10, Figure 5b; \(p\) \(<\) 0.001), and codocyte (Table 10, Figure 5c; \(p\) \(<\) 0.0001) shapes occurred  
Figure 3: Diameter distribution of red blood cells in control, chronic diabetic, and insulin-treated diabetic rats. Decrease in the diameter distribution width was seen in the chronic diabetic and insulin-treated diabetic groups, and it was more pronounced in the chronic diabetic group. Figure 2: The diameter of red blood cells in control, chronic diabetic, and insulin-treated diabetic rats. The diameter of red blood cells increased in chronic diabetic groups, and decreased in the insulin-treated diabetic group. Data are expressed as mean \(\pm\) SEM; ***** \(p\) \(<\) 0.0001 vs. controls; ***** \(p\) \(<\) 0.0001 vs. diabetics. more often compared to the controls. In the insulin-treated diabetics, the frequency of eccentricocytes and hemolyzed RBCs was similar to that of controls, and the percentage of codocytes was significantly lower compared to that of diabetics (_p_ < 0.05); however it was higher compared to that of controls (_p_ < 0.0001). Other shape abnormalities, such as those of acanthocyte, ovalocyte, dacrocyte, and schistocyte, also occurred in greater proportion in the insulin-treated diabetic group compared to the controls and/or diabetics. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l} \hline \hline  & **Controls** & **Chronic Diabetics** &
\begin{tabular}{l} **Insulin-Treated** \\ **Diabetics** \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline Echinocyte (Burr cells; \%) & 2.87 \(\pm\) 0.5 & 3.39 \(\pm\) 0.45 & 3.01 \(\pm\) 0.44 \\ \hline Acanthocyte (Spur cells; \%) & 1.24 \(\pm\) 0.41 & 0.59 \(\pm\) 0.16 & 2.67 \(\pm\) 0.48 *** \\ \hline Ovalocyte (\%) & 11.7 \(\pm\) 1.27 & 7.51 \(\pm\) 0.69 & 15.63 \(\pm\) 1.48 *** \\ \hline Dacrocyte (Teardrop cells; \%) & 1.48 \(\pm\) 0.32 & 2.48 \(\pm\) 0.38 & 4.32 \(\pm\) 0.7 *** \\ \hline Schistocyte (Fragmented cells; \%) & 0.67 \(\pm\) 0.18 & 0.89 \(\pm\) 0.19 & 1.73 \(\pm\) 0.26 ** \\ \hline Eccentricocyte (\%) & 0.0 \(\pm\) 0.0 & 0.61 \(\pm\) 0.2 *** & 0.06 \(\pm\) 0.03 * \\ \hline Hemolyzed RBC (\%) & 0.32 \(\pm\) 0.11 & 1.48 \(\pm\) 0.3 *** & 0.5 \(\pm\) 0.12 * \\ \hline Codocyte (Target cells; \%) & 0.0 \(\pm\) 0.0 & 8.17 \(\pm\) 1.21 *** & 2.48 \(\pm\) 0.36 *** \\ \hline Data are expressed as mean \(\pm\) SEM; ** \(p\) < 0.01; *** \(p\) < 0.001; *** \(p\) < 0.0001 vs. controls; \(p\) < 0.05; \(p\) < 0.01; \(p\) < 0.0001 vs. diabetics. (RBC: red blood cell). \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 10: Morphological changes of red blood cells in chronic diabetic rats. Figure 4: Representative micrograph of blood smears from (**a**) control, (**b**) chronic diabetic, and (**c**) insulin-treated diabetic rats. Scale bar 10 \(\mu\)m. a: ovalocyte, b: acanthocyte, c: hemolyzed red blood cell, d: codocyte, e: dacrocyte, f: echinocyte, g: eccentricocyte, h: schistocyte. Figure 5: Morphology of red blood cells in smears from controls, chronic diabetics, and insulin-treated diabetics.