Open AccessThe Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Findings Associated with the Morphological and Electrophysiological Changes in a Rat Model of Retinal Degeneration, Rhodopsin S334ter-4 Rats
Author(s) -
Kodai Yamauchi,
Reiko Tanabu,
Natsuki Monai,
Takayuki Gonome,
Yuting Xie,
Saburo Takahashi,
Sei-ichi Ishiguro,
Makoto Nakazawa
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
biomed research international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 2314-6141
pISSN - 2314-6133
DOI - 10.1155/2018/5174986
Subject(s) - electroretinography , rhodopsin , outer nuclear layer , retina , retinal , optical coherence tomography , retinal degeneration , ophthalmology , erg , retinitis pigmentosa , electrophysiology , anatomy , chemistry , medicine , biology , neuroscience
Purpose To characterize the spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings of the rhodopsin S334ter transgenic rats (line 4) in relation to the morphologic and electroretinographic features.Materials and Methods Rhodopsin S334ter transgenic rats (line 4) were employed as a model of retinal degeneration. The Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used as a wild-type control. SD-OCT (Micron IV®; Phoenix Research Labs, Pleasanton, CA, USA) was performed on the S334ter rats (line 4) from postnatal days (P) 13−110. The longitudinal changes of the SD-OCT images were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively in comparison to those of SD rats. The SD-OCT images were also compared to the histological and electron microscopic findings from examination performed on P 22, 36, and 61. Full field combined rod and cone electroretinography (ERG) was performed and the relationship between the thickness of the retinal sublayers and the amplitudes of the a- and b-waves was further analyzed.Results The photoreceptor inner and outer segment layer became diffusely hyperreflective in the SD-OCT images of the S334ter rats; these findings were not observed in the SD rats. This hyperreflective change corresponded to the degenerated inner and outer segments and the accumulation of the extracellular vesicles in the interphotoreceptor matrix. Quantitatively, the retinal outer sublayer and the photoreceptor sublayer in the S334ter rats became progressively thinner in comparison to those in the SD rats; the difference was statistically significant. The amplitudes of both the a- and b-waves on ERG were severely deteriorated in the S334ter rats.Discussion The SD-OCT images in the S334ter rats noninvasively provided information regarding the pathological changes in the photoreceptors and the longitudinal changes of both qualitative and quantitative changes during retinal degeneration in the S334ter rats (line 4). The pathological features of the photoreceptor inner and outer segments can be detected on SD-OCT as diffuse hyperreflective changes in the photoreceptor layer.