HIGH INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE-INDUCED RETINAL ISCHEMIA AND LIGHT-INDUCED RETINOPATHY IN RAT MODELS

Glaucoma and retinal degenerations are two important ocular diseases that often cause massive impacts to vision in both humans and animals. Rat models are commonly used to explore the complex pathophysiology and potential treatments of these diseases. The models of high intraocular pressure (HIOP)-induced retinal ischemia-reperfusion imply the ischemic outcome weight on the inner retina layers (including the nerve fiber layer, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer, inner plexiform layer (IPL), and inner retinal layer (INL)) that eventually progressed to the outer retinal layers. Depending on the duration (cycles) of ischemic treatment, more glaucoma pathological change signs may be exhibited more obviously with time. The model requires a short ischemic treatment and anticipates an adequately long period of disease manifestation. To investigate photoreceptor-led retinal degeneration, rat models for light-induced retinopathy are commonly used and it is predominantly attributed to the photoreceptor cells damage of ONL and OPL loss by high intensity of light exposure. This model unraveled the pathophysiological impairment of phototransduction as well as disease mechanisms involving oxidative stress and inflammatory process of the outer retinal layer. With the knowledge gained from the research using these animal models, better understanding of the disease mechanisms in terms of its pathophysiology and molecular changes can be achieved. Besides, the rat models can serve as the key basis for further investigation into the therapeutic or preventive perspectives of these retinopathies.