title: Results of selected ophthalmic diagnostic tests for clinically normal Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine values for tear production, horizontal palpebral fissure length (HPFL), eye blink frequency, and intraocular pressure (IOP) in healthy Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).
  
  
  METHODS
  40 healthy adult Syrian hamsters (80 eyes).
  
  
  METHODS
  Tear production was measured with the phenol red thread test (PRTT), modified Schirmer tear test (mSTT), and endodontic absorbent paper points tear test (EAPPTT). The IOP was measured by use of rebound tonometry. Correlations between test results and body weight were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean ± SD values for the IOP, PRTT, EAPPTT, mSTT, HPFL, and blink frequency for all 80 eyes were 4.55 ± 1.33 mm Hg, 5.57 ± 1.51 mm/15 s, 4.52 ± 1.55 mm/min, 2.07 ± 0.97 mm/min, 5.84 ± 0.45 mm, and 1.68 ± 0.43 blinks/min, respectively. For all variables, values did not differ significantly between the right and left eyes or between males and females. There was no correlation between measured variables and body weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results for this study provided information on values for the IOP, PRTT, mSTT, EAPPTT, HPFL, and eye blink frequency in healthy Syrian hamsters. It was important to determine reference intervals for this species because they commonly are kept as pets or used as research animals.
authors.forename: Seyed Mehdi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rajaei
authors.forename: Maneli Ansari
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mood
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sadjadi
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001767:Blinking; D001835:Body Weight; D006224:Cricetinae; D005123:Eye / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009799:Ocular Physiological Phenomena; D010808:Physical Examination; D012016:Reference Values; D013666:Tears; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular