Abstract
Panretinal photocoagulation has been shown to raise preretinal oxygen tension in cats and monkeys breathing 100% oxygen. However, in normoxia, there is no significant difference between normal and photocoagulated areas. This is thought to be due to autoregulatory vasoconstriction of the retinal circulation. In avascular rabbit retina, photocoagulation effects on retinal oxygenation can be studied without the influence of retinal vascular autoregulation. We measured normoxic preretinal oxygen tension of normal and photocoagulated rabbit retina at 1, 7, 14 and 28 days after photocoagulation using polarographic oxygen electrodes. For all time points, preretinal oxygen tension of photocoagulated retina (42 ± 14 torr; mean ± s.d.) was higher than untreated retina (14 ± 10 torr; mean ± s.d., P < 0·001). Light and electron microscopy of lasered retina showed that the improved oxygenation corresponded to loss of mitochondria-rich inner segments of the photoreceptors.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 289-296 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Experimental Eye Research |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 1990 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information: * Supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service NRSA (1 F32 EY06039-01) (R.L.N.): Veterans’ Administration Medical Research Funds (D.L.H.): Nat&al Eye Institute core grant (EY05722) and research grants (EY02903) (D.L.H.), (EY07001) (E.S.); Veterans’ Administration Development Award (ES.); Research to Prevent Blindness Inc. (E.S. and D.L.H.) National Society for the Prevention of Blindness (R.L.N.); and the Adler Foundation (E.S. and R.L.N.). t For reprint requests and correspondence: Dnke University Eye Center, Box 3802. Durham. NC 27710. U.S.A.Other keywords
- autoregulation
- oxygen
- oxygen electrode
- rabbit
- retinal photocoagulation
- retinal ultrastructure