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Anatomic, biochemical and functional evidence for cone injury in glaucoma
Author(s) -
Nork T.M.,
Kim C.B.Y.,
Nickells R.W.,
Ver Hoeve J.N.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2015.0076
Subject(s) - ophthalmology , glaucoma , scotopic vision , photopic vision , medicine , trabecular meshwork , retina , retinal , biology , neuroscience
Summary Purpose To investigate outer retinal injury in glaucoma. Methods Studies were done on human glaucomatous eyes as well as eyes from a laser trabecular meshwork destruction model of experimental glaucoma ( EG ) in non‐human primates ( NHP s), including light microscopy and in situ hybridization ( ISH ) for mRNA using probes specific for rod, S‐cone and M/L‐cone opsins. Choroidal blood flow (Ch BF ) was measured using non‐recirculating fluorescent microspheres. Functional studies on the NHP eyes included multifocal and full‐field electroretinography (mf ERG and ff ERG ). Results Swelling of M/L‐cones) was a common finding in both the glaucomatous human and NHP EG eyes. Cone loss was also observed in some of the human eyes. ISH for mRNA showed reduced levels in both the S‐ and M/L‐cones in human glaucoma and NHP EG . Supranormal mf ERG waveforms were a common feature of the NHP EG eyes. Ch BF was greatly reduced in eyes with EG . The ff ERG in NHP eyes with advanced EG showed larger reductions in photopic than in scotopic a‐ and b‐wave single‐flash responses; particularly at higher intensities. Conclusion Multiple lines of evidence show cone injury in human glaucoma and in NHP EG . Reduced Ch BF could be the cause.