title: High resolution imaging of fluorescein patterns in RCS rat retinae and their direct correlation with histology.
abstract: To assess the progressive changes in the retinal vascular bed of dystrophic and non-dystrophic Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats, retinae, were visualised correlating in vivo fundus fluorescein angiography (FA) with histology. FA was performed in rats aged 5 weeks to 2 years, using a Zeiss confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (cSLO). After the final imaging session, a subset of retinae were prepared for flat-mount histology and the vascular bed was visualised using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) staining. While non-dystrophic rat retinae showed no substantive changes in vascular patterns with age and no demonstrable fluorescein leakage up to at least 1 year, dystrophic rat retinae showed abnormal vascular formations, demonstrable on FA and NADPH-d staining, which could be correlated in single retinae. Hyperfluorescent spots and late angiographic leakage were evident beginning at 10 weeks and progressed in severity with time: they were coincident in distribution with abnormal histological vascular complexes. The ability to monitor the same retina serially makes this approach a valuable tool for studying the dynamics of vascular change in the diseased retina, not only during the course of degeneration but also when assessing efficacy of potential therapeutic approaches.
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Unit, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zambarakji
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Keegan
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Halfyard
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Villegas-Perez
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Charteris
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Fitzke
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greenwood
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Lund
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000473:pathology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology