title: Reliability of the mouse model of choroidal neovascularization induced by laser photocoagulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We attempted to reproduce published studies that evaluated whether the following factors influence choroidal neovascularization (CNV) induced by laser photocoagulation in murine retinas: small interfering RNA (siRNA), cobra venom factor, complement factors C3 and C5, and complement receptor C5aR. In addition, we explored whether laser-induced CNV in mice was influenced by the vendor of origin of the animals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reagents or genotypes reported by others to influence CNV in this model were assessed using our standard procedures. Retrospective analyses of control or placebo mice in many experiments were done to evaluate whether the CNV area induced by laser photocoagulation varied according to vendor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Administration of the following agents did not have a substantial impact on the CNV induced by laser burns in mice: siRNA, low-molecular-weight inhibitor of the C5a receptor (PMX53), or cobra venom factor. Jackson Laboratory (JAX) mice lacking either C3 or C5 had increased neovascularization compared to non-littermate JAX wild-type controls. Taconic mice lacking C3 had reduced CNV compared to non-littermate Taconic wild-type control mice. A retrospective analysis of vehicle-treated wild-type C57BL/6 mice used as controls across 132 experiments conducted from 2007 to 2010 revealed that mice purchased from JAX or from Charles River produced less neovascularization than mice from Taconic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We present our recommended methods for conducting experiments with the mouse laser-induced CNV model to enhance reproducibility and minimize investigator bias.
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Poor
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Yubin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Fassbender
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Siyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woolfenden
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delpero
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Gebuhr
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Shawn M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hanks
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Erik L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Meredith
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Bruce D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Jaffee
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Thaddeus P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Dryja
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: VEGF; choroidal neovascularization; laser; mice