June 2023
Volume 64, Issue 8
Open Access
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2023
Non-invasive electrical stimulation improves retinal and visual functions in a mouse model of retinal ischemic injury
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Karen Chang
    Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo Universitetssykehus, Oslo, Norway
  • Ajay Ashok
    Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo Universitetssykehus, Oslo, Norway
  • Kasim Gunes
    Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    Department of Histology and Embryology, Marmara Universitesi, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Kin-Sang Cho
    Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Li PAN
    Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Anton Lennikov
    Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo Universitetssykehus, Oslo, Norway
  • Wai Lydia Tai
    Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Shuhong Jiang
    Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Tor Paaske Utheim
    Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo Universitetssykehus, Oslo, Norway
    Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo Universitetssykehus, Oslo, Norway
  • Dongfeng Chen
    Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Karen Chang None; Ajay Ashok None; Kasim Gunes None; Kin-Sang Cho None; Li PAN None; Anton Lennikov None; Wai Lydia Tai None; Shuhong Jiang None; Tor Paaske Utheim None; Dongfeng Chen None
  • Footnotes
    Support  The Norwegian Research Council; Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; The Norwegian Association for the Blind and Partially Sighted; The Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (MOST 109-2917-I-564-032); National Eye Institute Grant EY031696; Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center Grant; Core Grant for Vision Research from NIH/NEI to the Schepens Eye Research Institute (P30EY003790)
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2023, Vol.64, 2007. doi:
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    • Get Citation

      Karen Chang, Ajay Ashok, Kasim Gunes, Kin-Sang Cho, Li PAN, Anton Lennikov, Wai Lydia Tai, Shuhong Jiang, Tor Paaske Utheim, Dongfeng Chen; Non-invasive electrical stimulation improves retinal and visual functions in a mouse model of retinal ischemic injury. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2023;64(8):2007.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose : Retinal ischemia is a common cause of many retinal diseases that leads to irreversible vision impairment. In this study, we investigated the effects of non-invasive electrical stimulation (ES) on a retinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) mouse model.

Methods : Adult C57BL/6J mice were induced for I/R injury by acute elevation of intraocular pressure to 75 mmHg through anterior chamber cannulation with normal saline for 1 hour. Biphasic ES (n=11) was given transpalpebrally on 4 equi-distanced spots around the mouse eye for 1 min/spot. A similar group of mice (n=9) with I/R injury received a sham procedure. ES was conducted every other day starting 24 hours after I/R for a period of 4 weeks. Retinal and visual functions were evaluated by electroretinogram (ERG) and optomotor response (OMR) weekly. Mice were sacrificed 4 weeks after I/R and the number of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) was quantified. Statistical significance was calculated using student t-test or one-way ANOVA, and a value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results : I/R induction caused a drastic decrease in both the retinal and visual functions due to the ischemic damage to the retina. No cataract or obvious clinical grade of ocular inflammation was noted after I/R injury. ES treatment significantly improved spatial visual functions, including visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, from 3 weeks after I/R injury compared to sham controls. Concurrently, ES retained retinal functions of positive scotopic threshold response (pSTR) after I/R injury and promoted photoreceptor and ON-bipolar cell functions in I/R mice over time compared to the sham treatment group.

Conclusions : Our results suggest that non-invasive ES alleviated neurodegeneration and attenuated retinal functional deterioration in mice with retinal ischemic injury. These findings suggest that ES could be a potential therapeutic intervention for retinal neurodegenerative diseases.

This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.

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