Objective There are different degrees of angiogenesis in the tissues and organs of the patient with diabetic chron -ic vascular disease , and it is somehow difficult to observe angiogenesis .This study was to construct an experimental model of angiogen-esis in the diabetic rat in vivo. Methods Twelve SD rats were equally randomized into a normal control and a diabetes mellitus ( DM) group, the DM model constructed by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin .At 8 weeks after modeling , matrigel was planted under the abdominal skin of the control and model rats and removed 2 weeks later .Then the structure of the new vessels was observed by HE staining and the expressions of aminopeptidase P (JG12) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) detected by immunohisto-chemistry and immunofluorescence . Results Compared with the control rats , the DM models showed significant increases in the blood glucose level ([6.15 ±3.02] vs [35.08 ±6.92] mmol/L), 24-hour urine volume ([5.33 ±1.53] vs [105.00 ±20.82] mL), and 24-hour urinary protein level ([7.78 ±2.12] vs [47.70 ±9.63] mg/24 h) (P<0.01).The matrigel plug was white and transparent in the controls but red with a visible tiny vessel-like structures in the model rats .The vessel-like structures were found oc-casionally in the matrigel plug of the control animals but in large numbers with many erythrocytes in that of the DM models .In compari-son with the normal controls , the model rats exhibited significantly upregulated expressions of JG12 (7.76 ±1.85 vs 27.36 ±3.75, P<0.01) and α-SMA (10.22 ±2.64 vs 36.85 ±4.28, P<0.01) in the matrigel plug , and a vessel-like reticular distribution was ob-served. Conclusion Hyperglycemia may induce angiogenesis in the matrigel plug .The DM rat model of subcutaneous matrigel angio-genesis may contribute to the study of angiogenesis in diabetes .