Abstract
Purpose:
Primate is an ideal disease model for investigation of pathogenesis and therapeutic approaches of eye diseases. Primate with the similar biological features as human body can simulate disease progress, drug reaction as well as the individual variation. In this study, we screened the prevalence of the ocular disorders in aging primates, and characterized the ocular features, aim to established the natural primate models for age related eye diseases. Moreover, a primate research center is funded for drug development and researches on age-related eye diseases, which center would open to eye research scientists and pharmaceutical industry.
Methods:
Aging primates were subjected to eye examination including fundus imaging, OCT, and IOP. The monkeys fundus images were capture on non-mydriatic fundus camera, followed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning to evaluate the retina status. Pathological positive individuals would be further examined with FFA or HRT to further characterize the eyes.
Results:
92 aging primates were screened, including 54 Cynomolgus (Age: 11.9±2.05, min=9; max=17) and 38 Macaques (Age: 15.5 ± 5.2, min=7; max=24), and 15 monkeys (16.3%) were founded with ocular disorders, 6 monkeys with retina diseases, and 9 monkeys with anterior segment diseases. 2 monkeys retinas from both eyes were founded numerous drusen distributing throughout the whole choroid. Three retinas from 3 monkeys showed pigmentary alterations in macular. One retina displayed serpiginous choroidal atrophy in both eyes. 12 eyes (of 6 monkeys) showed severe lens opacity in both eyes with some cataract signs. 3 monkeys showed corneal ulcer or corneal leucoma, which can be an animal model for corneal transplantation.
Conclusions:
15 out of 92 primates (16.3%) were founded with eye diseases, which prevalence was similar to human eye diseases. Some aging relative diseases, such as macular degeneration, cataract, and corneal leucoma, were observed in primates with the similar symptom as human being. More aging primate population is screening and more primates with ocular disorder would be founded up to date. Based on the screened primates models, the primate research center would become supportive to the preclinical trail of the translated medication practices.
Keywords: 412 age-related macular degeneration •
504 drusen •
688 retina