Korean J Ophthalmol.  2019 Dec;33(6):547-556. 10.3341/kjo.2019.0082.

Analysis of Changes in Retinal Photoreceptors Using Optical Coherence Tomography in a Feline Model of Iodoacetic Acid-induced Retinal Degeneration

• Noh GM
• Lim JW
• Lee MS
• Lee SU
• Lee SJ

• KMID: 2465135
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/kjo.2019.0082

Abstract

PURPOSE
We investigated structural changes in the retina by using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in a feline model of retinal degeneration using iodoacetic acid (IAA).
METHODS
We examined 22 eyes of 11 felines over 2 years of age. The felines had fasted for 12 hours and were intravenously injected with IAA 20 mg/kg of body weight. OCT (Spectralis OCT) was performed at the point where the ends of the retinal vessels collected in the lateral direction from the optic nerve head and area centralis. Similarly, OCT was performed four times at 1-week intervals following injections, at which point the felines were sacrificed and histologic examinations were performed. Using OCT, the thickness of each layer of the retina was measured.
RESULTS
The average body weight of the three male and eight female felines investigated in this study was 1.61 ± 0.19 kg. The mean total retinal thickness of the felines before injection was 221.32 ± 9.82 µm, with a significant decrease in the retinal thickness at 2, 3, and 4 weeks following injections of 186.41 ± 35.42, 174.56 ± 31.94, and 175.35 ± 33.84 µm, respectively (p = 0.028, 0.027, and 0.027, respectively). The thickness of the outer nuclear layer was 57.49 ± 8.03 µm before injection and 29.26 ± 17.87, 25.62 ± 13.88, and 31.60 ± 18.38 µm at 2, 3, and 4 weeks, respectively, after injection (p = 0.028, 0.028, 0.046, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
In a feline model of retinal degeneration using IAA, the total retinal thickness and the thickness of the outer nuclear layer were shown to decrease significantly on OCT.

Keyword

Angiography; Feline; Iodoacetic acid; Optical coherence tomography; Retinal degeneration

MeSH Terms

Angiography
Body Weight
Female
Humans
Iodoacetic Acid
Male
Optic Disk
Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate*
Retina
Retinal Degeneration*
Retinal Vessels
Retinaldehyde*
Tomography, Optical Coherence*
Iodoacetic Acid
Retinaldehyde

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Optical coherence tomography imaging. Spectralis optical coherence tomography was used to image the area centralis, where the vessel ends meet. (A) Linear scan. (B) Volume scan. Early Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy Study circle shown in yellow line. (C) Measuring each retinal layer thickness. The thickness of each retinal layer was measured using ImageJ grayscale. The above graph was obtained using GraphPad Prism program ver. 7.02. NFL = nerve fiber layer; GCL = ganglion cell layer; IPL = inner plexiform layer; INL = inner nuclear layer; OPL = outer plexiform layer; ONL = outer nuclear layer; OLM = outer limiting membrane; IS = inner segment layer; OS = outer segment layer; EZ = ellipsoid zone; RPE = retinal pigmented epithelium.

• 

  Fig. 2 (A,B) Fluorescein angiography results from feline 4. (A) No abnormalities of the retina before iodoacetic acid (IAA) injection at 2:49, 2:26 seconds. (B) Delayed leak around the central and peripheral retina after IAA injection at 6:12, 7:08 seconds. (C,D) Fluorescein angiography results from feline 5. (C) No retinal abnormalities before IAA injection (at 3:12, 1:00 seconds after fluorescein injection). (D) No interval changes after IAA injection (at 1:09, 5:22 seconds after fluorescein injection).

• 

  Fig. 3 Retinal changes obtained with optical coherence tomography after iodoacetic acid injection. (A) Baseline. (B) First week after injection. (C) Second week after injection. (D) Third week after injection. (E) Fourth week after injection. Note that the outer nuclear layer was substantially reduced and the photoreceptor layer was degenerated.

• 

  Fig. 4 Changes in retinal layer thickness after iodoacetic acid injection. *p < 0.05 versus baseline. Using methods shown in Fig. 1 and 2, retinal thicknesses were measured with optical coherence tomography and represented as a line graph.

• 

  Fig. 5 Sections of normal and iodoacetic acid-treated feline retinas. A standard hematoxylin-eosin-stained retinal section matched the optical coherence tomography image. (A) Normal control. (B) An iodoacetic acid-treated feline retinal section. Outer nuclear layer thickness was reduced and outer segment/inner segment virtually disappeared. NFL = nerve fiber layer; GCL = ganglion cell layer; IPL = inner plexiform layer; INL = inner nuclear layer; OPL = outer plexiform layer; ONL = outer nuclear layer; IS = inner segment layer; OS = outer segment layer; RPE = retinal pigmented epithelium.

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