Magnetic resonance imaging indicates decreased choroidal and retinal blood flow in the DBA/2J mouse model of glaucoma.
OBJECTIVE
This study tests the hypothesis that reduced retinal and choroidal blood flow (BF) occur in the DBA/2J mouse model of glaucoma.


METHODS
Quantitative BF magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a resolution of 42 × 42 × 400 μm was performed on DBA/2J mice at 4, 6, and 9 months of age and C57BL/6 age-matched controls under isoflurane anesthesia. BF MRI images were acquired with echo-planar imaging using an arterial spin labeling technique and a custom-made eye coil at 7 Tesla. Automated profile analysis was performed to average layer-specific BF along the length of the retina and choroid. In separate experiments, servo-null micropressure measurements of iliac arterial pressure were performed in old mice of both strains.


RESULTS
Choroidal BF was lower in DBA/2J mice than in age-matched C57BL/6 control mice at 4, 6, and 9 months of age (P < 0.01 for all age-matched groups). Retinal BF was lower in DBA/2J mice than in C57BL/6 mice at the 9-month time point (P < 0.01). Mean arterial pressure was not significantly different in aged C57BL/6 mice compared with aged DBA/2J mice.


CONCLUSIONS
The reduced ocular blood flow in DBA/2J mice compared with C57BL/6 control mice suggests that ischemia or hypoxia should be considered as a possible contributing factor in the optic neuropathy in the DBA/2J mouse model of glaucoma.
Department of Ophthalmology and Research Imaging Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
William J
WJ
Lavery
Eric R
ER
Muir
Jeffrey W
JW
Kiel
Timothy Q
TQ
Duong
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*