title: In vivo monitoring of VEGF-induced retinal damage in the Kimba mouse model of retinal neovascularization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To monitor retinal and vascular changes associated with neovascularization, which were generated through photoreceptor-specific overexpression of human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF), in transgenic trVEGF029 (Kimba) mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Spectralis Heidelberg Retina Angiography and Optical Coherence Tomography (HRA+OCT) imaging device was used to track changes in the retina and retinal vasculature of Kimba mouse eyes (n = 32) and control C57Bl/6J mouse eyes (n = 20) at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Retinal vascular leakage, focal dilated vessel, vessel tortuosity, attenuated vessel, venous beading, capillary dropout, retinal non-perfusion, neovascularization, and focal retinal detachment were observed in Kimba mouse eyes. Through track changes, we detected edema in the peripheral part of the retina of 2/32 Kimba mouse eyes examined. The retinae of the Kimba mice were significantly thinner than control mice retinae at all ages of the mice assessed (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In vivo monitoring of retinal vascular and neural retinal changes in the Kimba mice using the Spectralis HRA+OCT imaging device allowed us to assess and track VEGF-induced damages in great detail and in real-time. Real-time monitoring of these changes can be used to study the interplay between VEGF overexpression and other molecular factors and to monitor dynamic retinal changes following therapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia.
authors.forename: Ireni S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Ali Rahman
authors.forename: Cai-Rui
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chooi-May
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Elizabeth P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Rakoczy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A