In vivo monitoring of VEGF-induced retinal damage in the Kimba mouse model of retinal neovascularization.

PURPOSE: To monitor retinal and vascular changes associated with neovascularization, which were generated through photoreceptor-specific overexpression of human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF), in transgenic trVEGF029 (Kimba) mice.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The Spectralis Heidelberg Retina Angiography and Optical Coherence Tomography (HRA+OCT) imaging device was used to track changes in the retina and retinal vasculature of Kimba mouse eyes (n = 32) and control C57Bl/6J mouse eyes (n = 20) at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks of age.

RESULTS

Retinal vascular leakage, focal dilated vessel, vessel tortuosity, attenuated vessel, venous beading, capillary dropout, retinal non-perfusion, neovascularization, and focal retinal detachment were observed in Kimba mouse eyes. Through track changes, we detected edema in the peripheral part of the retina of 2/32 Kimba mouse eyes examined. The retinae of the Kimba mice were significantly thinner than control mice retinae at all ages of the mice assessed (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

In vivo monitoring of retinal vascular and neural retinal changes in the Kimba mice using the Spectralis HRA+OCT imaging device allowed us to assess and track VEGF-induced damages in great detail and in real-time. Real-time monitoring of these changes can be used to study the interplay between VEGF overexpression and other molecular factors and to monitor dynamic retinal changes following therapeutic intervention.