Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in a Blue Light Damage Model of Neuroprotection
Apr 08 2013
Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) provides 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional images of the eye. This modality allows for imaging of ocular structures during the in-life phase of preclinical studies.
Exposure to strong blue light causes degeneration of the photoreceptors and ultimately their cell bodies in the outer nuclear layer (ONL). In albino mice and rats, this sensitivity can be used in a model of neuroprotection. The animals are exposed to a period of intense blue light, then the test compound is administered and the effect on the photoreceptor cell bodies is evaluated. Traditionally this is done with histopathology and the counting of the cell layer thickness of the outer nuclear layer.
In the longitudinal version of this neuroprotection model where the effects are determined over a time course (for example 3, 7 and 14 days), the use of OCT may preclude the need to conduct histopathology at each time point by following the same animals over the entire time course, thus reducing the number of animals needed to conduct the study.
Charles River ocular scientists will be in attendance at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting to be held May 5-9, 2013 in Seattle, Washington. In addition, Charles River ocular scientists have recently been published in Assessing Ocular Toxicology in Laboratory Animals, now available for purchase.
To learn more about our OCT offerings, please contact us at askacharlesriver@crl.com.
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