160.A 47-year-old man presents to his family physician complaining of
unusual thirst, increased frequency of urination, dizziness, blurred vision, and
numbness in his left foot. His BMI is 32. He reports that his lifestyle is seden-
tary with very rare exercise. His diet consists largely of what he describes as
“fast and junk food.” A finger stick reading indicates a blood glucose level of
190 mg/dL and two fasting blood sugars are 156 and 166 mg/dL. Over time,
which of the following describes the changes that may occur in the structure
labeled “A” in the accompanying light micrograph?
256 Anatomy, Histology, and Cell Biology
(Micrograph courtesy of Dr. John K.Young.)a. Loss of beta cells
b. Arteriosclerosis
c. Progressive decrease in nerve conduction velocity
d. Altered smooth muscle glucose transporter function
e. Altered lymphatic flow