Abstract
Purpose: :
To develop a mouse model of elevated intraocular pressure that simulates the clinical optic neuropathy of glaucoma and for allowing applications of genetic mouse technology to the study of glaucoma.
Methods: :
Experimental glaucoma was induced in adult C57BL/6J mice unilaterally by anterior chamber inject of Fluorescent Microspheres or by laser photocoagulation of trabecular meshwork. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured every other day by a tonolab. Mice are sacrificed at 14, 30 and 60 days after first induction of IOP elevation. The degree of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) was assessed in retinal sections and flat-mounts using immunohistochemistry with primary antibody against beta-III-tubulin. Numbers of retinal ganglion cells were counted. IOP induced axon loss was quantified in optic nerve cross sections using electron microscopy.
Results: :
Adult C57BL/6J mice revealed a normal IOP at 10 mmHg. Injection of Microspheres into anterior chamber consistently induced IOP elevation in all treated animals with a mean of 18 mmHg in treated eyes. In addition, IOP elevation induced a 29.3 ± 3.3% loss of RGCs in the glaucomatous eyes.
Conclusions: :
Anterior chamber injection of Microspheres represents a useful and efficient method for inducing IOP elevation in mouse. Development of an inducible model of experimental glaucoma will greatly facilitate our understanding of the mechanisms of glaucoma by taking advantage of the available genetically engineered mouse models.
Keywords: anterior chamber • laser • trabecular meshwork