Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To develop OCT as a reliable, non-invasive technique to monitor changes in retinal thickness in an animal model of diabetic retinopathy Methods: Ten adult male Sprague Dawley rats aged 12 weeks had baseline retinal thickness measurements of both eyes recorded. Technical modifications to the Zeiss OCT unit were required for scanning rodents. Five millimetre horizontal OCT scans were performed at the same area of retina in all individuals. Five of the rats were then made diabetic with intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin. Blood sugar levels of greater than 14 mmol/L were confirmed 4 days later and checked fortnightly through-out the study. OCT retinal thickness measurements were then performed at weeks 2,4,6,and 8 weeks from baseline. Results: Rat retinal thicknesses as measured by OCT were consistent in the scanned area in individuals. Results indicate OCT is capable of detecting retinal thickness changes (in the order of microns) induced in the earliest stages of diabetes. Conclusions: This study presents a novel, robust and reproducible method to monitor the changes in retinal thickness in early diabetes in a rodent model.
Keywords: diabetic retinopathy • animal model • pathology: experimental