Abstract
Photocoagulation is used for the treatment of retinal ischemic disease. However, due to the invasive nature of photocoagulation and variety of melanin concentrations between individuals, it is challenging to avoid damaging the adjacent photoreceptors and inducing several side effects. Previous studies indicate the role of laser power, duration, and spot size on retinal lesions, but the effect of interspot distance of the laser pulses needs to be considered in panretinal photocoagulation. In this study, we examine different parameters of photocoagulation on lesions of the retina in rabbit, finding that the lesion level of the outer nuclear layer of the retina depended on the pulse duration and laser spot size, and decreasing interspot distance could completely abolish the photoreceptor layer. The degeneration of the photoreceptor by photocoagulation occurred in 24 h and was not restored afterward. We then conducted panretinal photocoagulation in rabbit and found that oxidative stress was decreased in the inner nuclear layer of the retina, and pupillary light reflex and ERG signals were impaired. Our study could provide a rabbit model to explore the mechanism of photoreceptor degeneration and therapies for the side effects after photocoagulation.
Highlights
Retinal photocoagulation is considered a gold standard for the therapy of retinal ischemic disease, such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion (Reddy and Husain, 2018)
These results indicate that the whitening level and lesioned spot size on retinal by photocoagulation was inversely proportional to the size of the laser spot and proportional to the duration of the laser pulse
To confirm which parameters of photocoagulation induce photoreceptor degeneration, which means the lesioning of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) but not the inner nuclear layer (INL) or ganglion cell layer (GCL), we examined cross-sections of the retina 7 days after photocoagulation using Nissl staining (Figure 2)
Summary
Retinal photocoagulation is considered a gold standard for the therapy of retinal ischemic disease, such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion (Reddy and Husain, 2018). A previous study shows that the RPE cell death after thermal irradiation may take time and mostly undergoes apoptosis, unless cells are immediately killed, but the cellular responses and therapeutic mechanisms are still unclear (Kern et al, 2018). To minimize the side effects of photocoagulation, selective retinal therapy (SRT) was applied as a new therapeutic laser procedure for retinal diseases (Chhablani et al, 2018). Previous studies indicate the role of laser power, duration, and spot size on retinal lesions (Jain et al, 2008), but during large-area photocoagulation, the effect of the interspot distance of the laser pulses needs to be considered. A proper animal model for studying cellular mechanisms would be helpful for further eliminating side effects by SRT
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
