Objective The aim of this study is to revaluate the experimental animal model of diabetic retinopathy induced by streptozotocin (STZ) rats systematically. Medthods 75 Sprague- Dawley rats were divided into two groups randomly:30 for control and 45 for diabetic. Diabetes was induced by a single injection of 60 mg/kg STZ and monitored for 6 months. Body weight and blood glucose were determined dynamically. Three indexes of hemorheology were assayed. Retinal morphometry were determined by trypsin digest preparations. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) of retina were analysed by immunohistochemistry. Expression of occludin and intercellular adhesion molecule- 1(ICAM-1) of retina were measured by Western blotting. The activity of aldose reductase of retina was assayed by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Results Compared with control group, the whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation index of STZ rats reduced, the basement membrane of retinal vessel thickened, numbers of capillaries degenerated with occlusion, retinal venular caliber dilated, the number of pericytes reduced obviously. The expression of retinal VEGF raised(IOD0.66?.28 vs control 0.25?.03), the expression of retinal PEDF declined(IOD0.07?.06 vs control0.19?.04)， occludin protein decreased to 70%, ICAM-1 protein increased by 2.58 times, the activity of aldose reductase increased by 3 times. Conclusion The diabetic retinopathy model in rat with STZ-induced diabetes occurs in multiple sites， and this animal model can be researched for diabetic retinopathy through multiple aspects and levels.