title: Treatment of acute posterior uveitis in a porcine model by injection of triamcinolone acetonide into the suprachoroidal space using microneedles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) administered into the suprachoroidal space (SCS) using a microneedle and compare it with intravitreal (IVT) TA injections in a porcine model of acute posterior segment inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  An IVT injection of balanced salt solution (BSS) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was followed 24 hours later with an injection of 0.2 mg or 2.0 mg of TA into the SCS or IVT. The SCS was accessed using microneedles in a minimally invasive procedure. Ocular inflammatory scores and IOP measurements were collected daily, whereas electroretinography, optical coherence tomography, and wide-field ocular fundus photography was performed on -1, 0, and 3 days after treatment. Aqueous and vitreous humor cell counts and protein levels and histopathology were also compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Delivery of TA to the SCS using microneedles was simple, effective, and not associated with adverse effects or toxicity. SCS injection of low (0.2 mg) and high doses (2.0 mg) of TA was as effective in reducing acute inflammation in the ocular posterior segment as high-dose IVT injection. Low-dose SCS TA was also effective in reducing inflammation; however, low-dose IVT TA was not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from this study suggest that 0.2 mg and 2.0 mg of SCS TA was as effective in reducing inflammation as 2.0 mg IVT TA injection in a model of acute posterior segment inflammation. There were no adverse effects, increased IOP, or evidence of procedural or drug toxicity following injection of TA into the SCS in porcine eyes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, USA. bgilger@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Gilger
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Abarca
authors.forename: Jacklyn H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: Samirkumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D002829:Choroid; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000187:drug effects; D005110:Extracellular Space; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D034421:Sus scrofa; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015866:Uveitis, Posterior / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide