title: Long time remodeling during retinal degeneration evaluated by optical coherence tomography, immunocytochemistry and fundus autofluorescence.
abstract: To characterize the relationship between fundus autofluorescence (FAF), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) over the course of chronic retinal degeneration in the P23H rat.
  
  
  
  Homozygous albino P23H rats, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats as controls and pigmented Long Evans (LE) rats were used. A Spectralis HRA OCT system was used for scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) imaging OCT and angiography. To determine FAF, fluorescence was excited using diode laser at 488 nm. A fast retina map OCT was performed using the optic nerve as a landmark. IHC was performed to correlate with the findings of OCT and FAF changes.
  
  
  
  During the course of retinal degeneration, the FAF pattern evolved from some spotting at 2 months old to a mosaic of hyperfluorescent dots in rats 6 months and older. Retinal thicknesses progressively diminished over the course of the disease. At later stages of degeneration, OCT documented changes in the retinal layers, however, IHC better identified the cell loss and remodeling changes. Angiography revealed attenuation of the retinal vascular plexus with time.
  
  
  
  We provide for the first time a detailed long-term analysis of the course of retinal degeneration in P23H rats using a combination of SLO and OCT imaging, angiography, FAF and IHC. Although, the application of noninvasive methods enables longitudinal studies and will decrease the number of animals needed for a study, IHC is still an essential tool to identify retinal changes at the cellular level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Lozano Blesa University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain; Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragon), Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Zaragoza University, Spain. Electronic address: isabel.pinilla@telefonica.net.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pinilla
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology Genetics and Microbiology, Alicante University, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernández-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragon), Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Zaragoza University, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Segura
authors.affiliation: Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragon), Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Applied Physics, Zaragoza University, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana Isabel
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Cano
authors.affiliation: Bloss Group Company, Spain and Heidelberg Engineering Gmbh, Germany.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tamarit
authors.affiliation: Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragon), Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Physiology, Zaragoza University, Spain.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fuentes-Broto
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA.
authors.forename: Janis T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Eells
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology Genetics and Microbiology, Alicante University, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lax
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology Genetics and Microbiology, Alicante University, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cuenca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D051597:Hippocalcin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: C496693:Hpca protein, rat; D051597:Hippocalcin
keywords: Immunocytochemistry; OCT; P23H; Remodeling; Retina; Retinitis pigmentosa