title: Establishment of an experimental ferret ocular hypertension model for the analysis of central visual pathway damage.
abstract: Glaucoma optic neuropathy (GON) is a condition where pathogenic intraocular pressure (IOP) results in axonal damage following retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death, and further results in secondary damage of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). Therapeutic targets for glaucoma thus focus on both the LGN and RGC. However, the temporal and spatial patterns of degeneration and the mechanism of LGN damage have not been fully elucidated. Suitable and convenient ocular hypertension (OH) animal models with binocular vision comparable to that of monkeys are strongly needed. The ferret is relatively small mammal with binocular vision like humans - here we report on its suitability for investigating LGN. We developed a new method to elevate IOP by injection of cultured conjunctival cells into the anterior chamber to obstruct aqueous outflow. Histologically, cultured conjunctival cells successfully proliferated to occlude the angle, and IOP was elevated for 13 weeks after injection. Macroscopically, the size of the eye gradually expanded. Subsequent enlargement of optic nerve head cupping and atrophic damage of LGN projected from the OH eye were clearly observed by anterograde staining with cholera toxin B. We believe the ferret may be a promising OH model to investigate secondary degeneration of central nervous system including LGN.
authors.affiliation: Saitama Red Cross Hospital, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujishiro
authors.affiliation: Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.affiliation: Shirato Eye Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aihara
authors.affiliation: Koritsu Showa Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadashiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saeki
authors.affiliation: University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ymagishi
authors.affiliation: University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Atarashi
authors.affiliation: University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mayama
authors.affiliation: Kanto Chuo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Araie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005289:Ferrets; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014855:Wallerian Degeneration / Q000503:physiopathology