Mechanism of Tissue Injury in Experimental Retinal Artery Occlusion: Morphological Study I

ABSTRACT

We used an animal model of laser-induced retinal artery occlusion to study the temporal and spatial patterns of tissue injury and to identify apoptosis-like morphologic changes.We performed fundus exam and fluorescein angiography for 2 weeks.Rats were sacrificed at 6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 7 days, and 14 days after arterial occlusion.The arterial reperfusion was seen from 6 hours to 4 days.We could observe vascular tortuosity and retinal hemorrhage in the fundus.Six hours after retinal arterial occlusion, there were a lot of cells which had chromatin condensation.One to three days membrane budding and apoptotic body were identifed after occlusion.Most of inner retinal layers were destroyed following 7days.These data demonstrated that retinal artery occlusion induces apoptotic cell death in the retinal ganglion cell and inner nuclear layer.