Six monkeys were divided into two groups. Each three animals
received an intravenous injection of 4 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg BW ATX-S10(Na)
as had been used in the previous study.
21 (Although the
dye dosage of 2 mg/kg was also tried, clear fluorescence images were
not obtained [data not shown].) The fluorescence of ATX-S10(Na) from
the fundus was detected by a modified fundus camera (TRC-50IA; Topcon,
Tokyo, Japan) which included a 670-nm wavelength diode laser (Hamamatsu
Photonics Inc., Hamamatsu, Japan) as the stimulation source and a
cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera (KP-160; Hitachi, Ibaragi,
Japan) as a detector. A sharp-cut filter (SC70; Fuji, Kanagawa, Japan)
blocked the light of wavelengths shorter than 670 nm and was used as a
barrier filter. Laser irradiance was 9.1 to 15.5
mW/cm
2, as measured on the corneal surface with a
power meter (Nova-Display; Ophir Optronics, Inc., Boston, MA). The
exposure time for taking angiographic photographs was less than 10
seconds, which was too short to cause photodynamic injury to the
retinal tissue. Autofluorescence was absent in the fundus before dye
injection. The data were recorded on S-VHS video tape and/or a digital
video system. Angiograms were performed on both eyes at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,
12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 minutes and 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5,
4, 6, 8, and 24 hours after dye injection.