Abstract
Purpose: :
To study the intravitreal application of pure silicon-based Quantum Dots (QD) and its capabilities to deliver electrical stimulation to the retinal cells and assesses its potential effect on retinal electrophysiology and anatomy.
Methods: :
A Royal College of Surgeon (RCS) rat model of retinal degeneration was used in this study. A total of 24 eyes divided in three groups of 8 eyes each; the first group received the silicon-base QD, the second group received a sham injection and the third was used as a control. An Electroretinogram (ERG) was done at baseline and thereafter every week for 9 weeks. At the end of the follow-up, eyes were collected for further pathological analysis and nuclei cell counts.
Results: :
Eyes within the QD group showed a definite but transient change in the waves of the ERG, (increasing the amplitude of the b wave) especially in the rod response compared to the sham and control group (p<0.05). The pathological examination demonstrated a higher nuclei count in the QD group, consistent with a higher cell survival rate than in the sham and control group in which cells degenerated as expected.
Conclusions: :
Intravitreal injection of silicon-based QD seems to be safe and well tolerated, with no evident toxic reaction and have a beneficial effect by prolonging cell survival rate and improving ERG patterns in a well established model of retinal degeneration.
Keywords: retinal degenerations: hereditary • protective mechanisms • neuroprotection