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mfERG in normal and lesioned rabbit retina

  • Laboratory Investigation
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Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

To evaluate and describe the cone function in the normal and lesioned rabbit retina using the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG).

Methods

Twelve animals underwent a two-port vitrectomy with subsequent retinectomy in one eye. The area of removed retina was located in the nasal part of the visual streak, and measured approximately 1–2 disc diameters. Both eyes were investigated with mfERG preoperatively and up to 13 weeks postoperatively. A Burian-Allen bipolar contact lens with built-in infrared emitters was used to visualize the retina during the recordings. The averages of the trace array amplitudes in the lower nasal and temporal quadrants were calculated and statistically analyzed at the different time intervals. All eyes were examined histologically with hematoxylin and eosin staining.

Results

The retina could be visualized during the mfERG examinations. Postoperatively, up to 3 weeks, amplitudes were reduced over the entire stimulated area in retinectomized eyes (2.20 μV±1.22 SD) as compared with preoperative examinations (3.40 μV±1.00 SD). After 7 weeks the amplitudes in the quadrant including the retinectomized area remained low (2.62 μV±1.02 SD), whereas they were higher than at earlier postoperative examinations in the lower unlesioned temporal quadrant (3.56 μV±0.71 SD) with a statistical difference between the quadrants. At 13 weeks this was even more pronounced. In unoperated eyes, the area corresponding to the visual streak displayed significantly higher amplitudes than the area superior to the myelinated streak, corresponding well to the cone distribution. High amplitudes were also detected in the area of the myelinated nerve fibers and optic nerve head, most likely as a result of scattering light. In histological sections, the retinectomized area had a diameter of 1–3 mm.

Conclusions

This study shows that the mfERG technique can be used as a tool in experimental retinal research involving the rabbit eye, where retinal lesions down to at least 1 mm can be detected. One difficulty involves scattering light emanating from the relatively large optic disc and the myelinated nerve fibers, which makes the use of a mfERG system, in which the fundus can be visualized during stimulation, mandatory.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Boel Nilsson for skilful technical assistance in the mfERG recordings and Karin Arnér in the surgical procedures. Support for this study was provided by the Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, the Swedish Research Council, the Crown Princess Margaret Committee for the blind; and 2nd ONCE international award for new technologies for the blind.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden

    Karin W. Gjörloff, Sten Andréasson & Fredrik Ghosh

Authors
  1. Karin W. Gjörloff
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  2. Sten Andréasson
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  3. Fredrik Ghosh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karin W. Gjörloff.

Additional information

Grant information: the Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, the Crown Princess Margaret Committee for the blind; and 2nd ONCE international award for new technologies for the blind, the Swedish Research Council.

The authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology to review their data if requested.

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Gjörloff, K.W., Andréasson, S. & Ghosh, F. mfERG in normal and lesioned rabbit retina. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmo 244, 83–89 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-005-0019-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-005-0019-2

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