Noninvasive Retinal Optical Imaging in Metabolic Diseases Mouse Models Using Optical Coherence Tomography

摘要

Objectives To evaluate retinal thickness, microvasculature, blood flow rate and oxygen metabolic rate in glutaredoxin-1 (Glrx) knock out induced metabolic disease mouse models. Methods Twenty-week old wild type and Glrx knock out mice fed with normal chow diet were imaged. Visible-light optical coherence tomography (vis-OCT) was used to image retinal thickness and microvasulature, as well as functional parameters including retinal blood flow rate and oxygen saturation (sO2). These quantitative measurements were compared between wild type and Glrx knock out mice. Results We observed that the retinal thickness was significantly decreased in Glrx knock out mice compared with wild type mice. Additionally, we found significant reduction in arteriovenous sO2 difference in these mice, indicating lower oxygen extraction efficiency. However, Glrx knockout mice did not exhibit any differences in retinal blood flow rate as well as the density of microvasculature. Conclusions vis-OCT provides an unprecedented capability for high-resolution imaging of mouse retinal vessels, in venous sO2 and blood flow that may play a pivotal role in providing a noninvasive method for detection of early microvascular changes in patients with retinopathy. Glutaredoixn-1 plays a very important role in metabolic disorder induced retinopathy.