Postnatal refractive development in the Brown Norway rat: limitations of standard refractive and ocular component dimension measurement techniques.
OBJECTIVE
The genetic tractability of the rat and its larger eye size as compared to the mouse make it an attractive model for studies of ocular development and emmetropisation. This study aimed to provide normative data in the strain of rat being used for the rat genome sequencing project whilst also evaluating standard measurement techniques.


METHODS
Ocular refraction (retinoscopy, Hartinger coincidence optometry) and ocular component dimensions (keratometry, A-scan ultrasonography, calliper measures, eye weight) were measured at intervals from eye-opening to adulthood.


RESULTS
There was no convincing evidence of visually guided emmetropisation during normal development. Key measurement techniques such as high-resolution A-scan ultrasonography, which work effectively in several other animal species, were unusable or inaccurate in the rat.


CONCLUSIONS
This study found no evidence of emmetropisation during normal development in rat. As in mice, technical difficulties prevent accurate measurement of ocular refraction and vitreous chamber depth and may complicate tests of emmetropisation to imposed blur.
Guggenheim
Jeremy A
JA
School of Optometry & Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK. guggenheim@cf.ac.uk
Creer
Rosalind C
RC
Qin
Xue-Jiao
XJ
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001699:Biometry; D005123:Eye / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D009799:Ocular Physiological Phenomena; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN / Q000254:growth & development*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D042262:Retinoscopy; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology