title: Electroretinographic effects of an intravitreal injection of triamcinolone in rabbit retina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical, histologic, and electroretinographic effects of intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide suspension in the rabbit retina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three groups of 6 rabbits each received intravitreal injections. Group 1 received 4 mg of triamcinolone acetonide, group 2 received an equal volume (0.1 mL) of the corticosteroid supernatant, and group 3 received 4 mg of triamcinolone acetonide with the supernatant replaced with balanced salt solution. Uninjected left eyes served as controls. Electroretinograms were obtained at baseline and at 3 to 4 and 6 to 7 days after injection of triamcinolone. Enucleated eyes were examined histologically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ocular examination revealed no differences among the 3 groups. When subjected to stimulation with moderate to high flash intensities, eyes that had received intravitreal injections of triamcinolone (groups 1 and 3) had a 10% to 25% increase in dark-adapted a- and b-wave electroretinographic amplitudes. No histologic differences were observed between injected and control eyes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal injection of 4 mg of triamcinolone acetonide does not cause a toxic reaction in the rabbit retina after 7 days. Triamcinolone therapy may augment the rod-driven electroretinographic responses, suggesting a mechanism by which visual function may improve. Clinical Relevance Evaluation of the toxic effects of triamcinolone is useful because of increased applications of intravitreal injection.
authors.affiliation: Mason Eye Institute, University of Missouri-Columbia, 65212, USA.
authors.forename: Dustin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dierks
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Keqing
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dean P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Hainsworth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003623:Dark Adaptation; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000633:toxicity*; D007267:Injections; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000633:toxicity*; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014822:Vitreous Body
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide