title: Non-mitogenic human acidic fibroblast growth factor reduces retinal degeneration induced by sodium iodate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the protective effects of non-mitogenic human acidic fibroblast growth factor on retinal degeneration induced by NaIO(3) in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retinal degeneration was induced in adult male Wistar rats via caudal-vein injection of 1% NaIO(3) at 50 mg/kg. One h after NaIO(3) treatment, the right eyes received intravitreal injection of 2.5 microg nm-haFGF in 10 microL saline and the left eyes received saline alone as vehicle-treated eyes. Retinal function in rats was evaluated by electroretinogram (ERG) before injection and 1, 7, and 21 days postinjection. Additional rat eyes were enucleated 7 and 21 days postinjection, fixed, and processed for histological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A model of retinal degeneration in rat was established successfully using NaIO(3) injection. Significant decreases in both ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes were detected in NaIO(3)-injected rats when compared with the normal animals (P < 0.05) on day 7 postinjection. Importantly, at the seventh day after intravitreal nm-haFGF treatment on NaIO(3)-injected rats, the nm-haFGF-treated eyes showed a significant improvement in the ERG amplitudes of both a- and b-waves when compared with vehicle-treated eyes (P < 0.05). In addition, the disruptions of photoreceptor outer segments and the retinal pigment epithelium monolayer were much less frequently observed in the nm-haFGF-treated eyes than the vehicle-treated eyes, and the outer nuclear layer thickness in the nm-haFGF-treated eyes was similar to that of the normal eyes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal delivery of nm-haFGF appears to have neuroprotective effect on retinal degeneration induced by NaIO(3).
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Laboratories, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
authors: Weiwei
authors: W
authors: Chen
authors: Man
authors: M
authors: Yu
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Youwei
authors: Y
authors: Peng
authors: Xiaokun
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Dominic Man-Kit
authors: DM
authors: Lam
authors: Xiaoming
authors: X
authors: Chen
authors: Xuyang
authors: X
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004596:Electroretinography; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007452:Iodates / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055214:Retinal Photoreceptor Cell Outer Segment / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007452:Iodates; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1; C032285:sodium iodate