Refractive Development in the “ROP Rat”

Although retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is clinically characterized by abnormal retinal vessels at the posterior pole of the eye, it is also commonly characterized by vascular abnormalities in the anterior segment, visual dysfunction which is based in retinal dysfunction, and, most commonly of all, arrested eye growth and high refractive error, particularly (and paradoxically) myopia. The oxygen-induced retinopathy rat model of ROP presents neurovascular outcomes similar to the human disease, although it is not yet known if the “ROP rat” also models the small-eyed myopia characteristic of ROP. In this study, magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of albino (Sprague-Dawley) and pigmented (Long-Evans) ROP rat eyes, and age- and strain-matched room-air-reared (RAR) controls, were examined. The positions and curvatures of the various optical media were measured and the refractive state (℞) of each eye estimated based on a previously published model. Even in adulthood (postnatal day 50), Sprague-Dawley and Long-Evans ROP rats were significantly myopic compared to strain-matched controls. The myopia in the Long-Evans ROP rats was more severe than in the Sprague-Dawley ROP rats, which also had significantly shorter axial lengths. These data reveal the ROP rat to be a novel and potentially informative approach to investigating physiological mechanisms in myopia in general and the myopia peculiar to ROP in particular

Hyalocyte origin, structure, and imaging

Hyalocytes have been recognized as resident tissue macrophages of the vitreous body since the mid-19th century. Despite this, knowledge about their origin, turnover, and dynamics is limited. Historically, initial studies on the origin of hyalocytes used light and electron microscopies. Modern investigations across species including rodents and humans will be described. Novel imaging is now available to study human hyalocytes in vivo. The shared ontogeny with retinal microglia and their eventual interdependence as well as differences will be discussed. Owing to a common origin as myeloid cells, hyalocytes and retinal microglia have similarities, but hyalocytes appear to be distinct as resident macrophages of the vitreous body.</p

Media 7: The use of forward scatter to improve retinal vascular imaging with an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Originally published in Biomedical Optics Express on 01 October 2012 (boe-3-10-2537

Media 9: The use of forward scatter to improve retinal vascular imaging with an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Originally published in Biomedical Optics Express on 01 October 2012 (boe-3-10-2537

Media 1: The use of forward scatter to improve retinal vascular imaging with an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Originally published in Biomedical Optics Express on 01 October 2012 (boe-3-10-2537

Media 2: The use of forward scatter to improve retinal vascular imaging with an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Originally published in Biomedical Optics Express on 01 October 2012 (boe-3-10-2537

Media 3: The use of forward scatter to improve retinal vascular imaging with an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Originally published in Biomedical Optics Express on 01 October 2012 (boe-3-10-2537

Media 4: The use of forward scatter to improve retinal vascular imaging with an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Originally published in Biomedical Optics Express on 01 October 2012 (boe-3-10-2537

Media 8: The use of forward scatter to improve retinal vascular imaging with an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Originally published in Biomedical Optics Express on 01 October 2012 (boe-3-10-2537

Media 5: The use of forward scatter to improve retinal vascular imaging with an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Originally published in Biomedical Optics Express on 01 October 2012 (boe-3-10-2537