title: Development of Animal Models of Local Retinal Degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Development of nongenetic animal models of local retinal degeneration is essential for studies of retinal pathologies, such as chronic retinal detachment or age-related macular degeneration. We present two different methods to induce a highly localized retinal degeneration with precise onset time, that can be applied to a broad range of species in laboratory use.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 30-μm thin polymer sheet was implanted subretinally in wild-type (WT) rats. The effects of chronic retinal separation from the RPE were studied using histology and immunohistochemistry. Another approach is applicable to species with avascular retina, such as rabbits, where the photoreceptors and RPE were thermally ablated over large areas, using a high power scanning laser.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Photoreceptors above the subretinal implant in rats degenerated over time, with 80% of the outer nuclear layer disappearing within a month, and the rest by 3 months. Similar loss was obtained by selective photocoagulation with a scanning laser. Cells in the inner nuclear layer and ganglion cell layer were preserved in both cases. However, there were signs of rewiring and decrease in the size of the bipolar cell terminals in the damaged areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both methods induce highly reproducible degeneration of photoreceptors over a defined area, with complete preservation of the inner retinal neurons during the 3-month follow-up. They provide a reliable platform for studies of local retinal degeneration and development of therapeutic strategies in a wide variety of species.
authors.affiliation: Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States 2Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States 3Institut de la Vision, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lorach
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kung
authors.affiliation: Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beier
authors.affiliation: Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States 5Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Yossi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mandel
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States.
authors.forename: Roopa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dalal
authors.affiliation: Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States 2Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huie
authors.affiliation: Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States 2Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States.
authors.forename: Seungjun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sher
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
authors.forename: Bryan William
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States 2Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palanker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*