title: Monitoring retinal morphologic and functional changes in mice following optic nerve crush.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We characterized the morphologic and functional changes in optic nerve crushed mice and evaluated electroretinogram (ERG) responses as tools to monitor retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed optic nerve crush (ONC) unilaterally in adult BALB/cJ mice. The neuronal loss in the RGC layer (GCL) and superior colliculus (SC) was determined by Nissl staining. Retinal thickness was assessed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging. Retinal function was determined by pattern ERG and full-field flash ERG. Responses of pattern ERG, positive scotopic threshold response (pSTR), scotopic oscillatory potentials (OPs), and photopic negative response (PhNR) were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ONC induced progressive neuronal loss in GCL and contralateral SC starting from 7 and 28 days following ONC, respectively. A linear correlation was observed between combined thickness of nerve fiber layer (NFL), GCL, and inner plexiform layer (IPL) imaged by SD-OCT and cell numbers in GCL. Only half of the normal BALB/cJ mice exhibited pattern ERG response, which was smaller and later compared to C57BL/6J mice. The ONC reduced pattern ERG and pSTR, but the reduction of pattern ERG was earlier than pSTR, preceding the anatomical cell loss in the GCL. The PhNR and scotopic OPs were not affected by ONC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SD-OCT and ERG can be used to monitor noninvasively retinal morphologic and functional changes induced by ONC. Pattern ERG and pSTR are able to detect early RGC dysfunction, but pattern ERG exhibits higher sensitivity. Our results support the use of these tools in studies using the mouse ONC model.
authors.affiliation: North Texas Eye Research Institute and Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: North Texas Eye Research Institute and Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Colleen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: McDowell
authors.affiliation: North Texas Eye Research Institute and Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: North Texas Eye Research Institute and Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Holly E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Tebow
authors.affiliation: North Texas Eye Research Institute and Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wordinger
authors.affiliation: North Texas Eye Research Institute and Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
authors.forename: Abbot F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D009409:Nerve Crush / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020221:Optic Nerve Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology; D012607:Scotoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
keywords: electroretinogram; optic nerve crush; retinal ganglion cells