Optimization of an Ischemic Retinopathy Mouse Model and the Consequences of Hypoxia in a Time-Dependent Manner

The retina is one of the highest metabolically active tissues with a high oxygen consumption, so insufficient blood supply leads to visual impairment. The incidence of related conditions is increasing; however, no effective treatment without side effects is available. Furthermore, the pathomechanism of these diseases is not fully understood. Our aim was to develop an optimal ischemic retinopathy mouse model to investigate the retinal damage in a time-dependent manner. Retinal ischemia was induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) for 10, 13, 15 or 20 min, or by right permanent unilateral common carotid artery occlusion (UCCAO). Optical coherence tomography was used to follow the changes in retinal thickness 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after surgery. The number of ganglion cells was evaluated in the central and peripheral regions on whole-mount retina preparations. Expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was analyzed with immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Retinal degeneration and ganglion cell loss was observed in multiple groups. Our results suggest that the 20 min BCCAO is a good model to investigate the consequences of ischemia and reperfusion in the retina in a time-dependent manner, while the UCCAO causes more severe damage in a short time, so it can be used for testing new drugs.