title: Ocular lesions in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits.
abstract: Hyperlipidemic ocular lesions are described for Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits. Male WHHL rabbits 8 months old exhibited serum hyperlipidemia and ophthalmoscopically yellowish-white lesions along the corneoscleral junction and in the iris. Histopathologically, foamy macrophages aggregated in the stroma of the cornea, iris, and ciliary body were observed. These findings have been interpreted as lipid keratopathy. In addition, multiple clusters of a large number of foamy macrophages occurred throughout the choroid and sclera in association with the blood vessels. The lesions in the choroid and sclera could not be detected ophthalmoscopy, yet were much more prominent than those in the cornea, iris, and ciliary body, suggesting greater involvement and earlier onset of lipidosis at these sites associated with hyperlipidemia in WHHL rabbits.
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Group, Safety Research Laboratories, Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, 33-94 Enokicho, Suita, Osaka, 564-0053, Japan. mami-kouchi@dainippon-pharm.co.jp
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kouchi
authors.forename: Yoshinaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002924:Ciliary Body / Q000473:pathology; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007498:Iris / Q000473:pathology; D007499:Iris Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008264:Macrophages; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D012590:Sclera / Q000098:blood supply / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015422:Scleral Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*