Citation

Aslam SA, Davies WIL, Singh MS, Charbel Issa P, Barnard AR, Scott RA, Maclaren RE. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2013; 54(8): 5456-5465.

Affiliation

Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Levels 5-6 West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology)

DOI

10.1167/iovs.13-11623

PMID

23744998

Abstract

PURPOSE: To develop a reproducible laboratory model to simulate a battlefield foveal laser injury and to test potential neuroprotective effects of a single injection treatment which might be administered in a military setting. METHODS: Frequency-doubled 532 nm Nd:YAG laser was used to induce a threshold retinal injury bilaterally in transgenic reporter mice which have fluorescent cones. Intravitreal injection of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) was then administered to lasered eye and compared to a contralateral sham injection of saline. The effect on fluorescent cone cell survival was quantified using a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (cSLO), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assays, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). RESULTS: At three weeks post-laser, cSLO imaging showed that the proportion of surviving GFP cones expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive cones was greater in CNTF-treated (54.1 ± 5.15% of baseline count) than in sham injected eyes (28.7 ± 4.4%), which was accompanied by a reduction in TUNEL positive cells. This difference in cone survival persisted at the 6 week point (treated, 39.6 ± 3.2% vs. sham, 18.0 ± 3.8%). These changes were accompanied by a reduction in TUNEL positive cells. The Bcl-2/Bax ratio was increased in CNTF-treated eyes at one week post laser exposure relative to controls. CONCLUSIONS: A single intravitreal injection of CNTF protein was shown to improve cone survival when administered immediately after laser exposure . Similar treatments with CNTF might also have a role in attenuating retinal laser damage sustained by combat personnel in the military setting.

Language: en