Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the efficacy of alginate-based hydrogel as a intraocular tamponading agent and vitreous substitute in a rabbit model of retinal detachment.
Methods :
Twenty-four rabbit eyes were randomly divided into three groups (AlgPBA/PVA tamponade group, silicone oil tamponade group, and room air tamponade group) after vitrectomy and retinal detachment and followed up for 3 months. Ophthalmic evaluations and full-field Electroretinogram(ERG) were performed after surgery. The rabbits were sacrificed at different time points between 1 month and 3 months post-operatively. After enucleation, histopathologic examinations and immunohistochemistry of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) were assessed.
Results :
The AlgPBA/PVA tamponade group showed nearly normal retinal features at 3 months post-operatively, with a completely attached retina. Microscopy and immunohistochemistry also demonstrated normal morphology of the retinal layers with minimal sings of Müller cell up-regulation compared to the other two groups. ERG revealed that there were no toxic effects on rod or cone function in the AlgPBA/PVA tamponade group. Regarding the function and anatomy of the retina, the SiO tamponade group was not much different from the AlgPBA/PVA tamponade group but showed an increase in intraocular pressure(IOP) 3 months after surgery. The re-attachment rate of the retina in SiO and room air tamponade group was also lower than the AlgPBA/PVA tamponade group. In the room air tamponade group, marked decline of retinal function and destruction of the retina layers were confirmed.
Conclusions :
In this experiment, AlgPBA/PVA could be safely injected into a rabbit’s eye without causing any deterioration to the anatomical structure or function of the retinal cell layers. The study results demonstrate the potential of AlgPBA/PVA as a future effective intraocular tamponade and vitreous substitute.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.