Ocular ischaemic syndrome in a rat model
Reviewed by Claire Howard

Ocular Ischaemic syndrome is a devastating eye disease caused by severe carotid stenosis. This study’s purpose was to develop a reliable rat model for this syndrome by subjecting rats to common carotid artery occlusion and sham surgery. Rats were assigned into one of two groups receiving different procedures, the sham surgery group and the stenosis group. For this study, the common carotid artery in the rat model was ligated unilaterally or bilaterally with needles of different diameters and the ocular arterial filling time examined by fluorescein fundus angiography at different time intervals. Bilateral common carotid artery occlusion was a more effective model than unilateral occlusion. Results showed that the arterial filling time was significantly increased at 14 and 21 days after ligation compared with preoperatively. The total blood flow in the sham surgery group was significantly higher than in the bilateral common carotid artery occlusion group. The fundus blood flow was statistically different between the two groups, whereas that of the anterior segment was not. The authors have concluded that a successful rat model of ocular ischaemic syndrome has been achieved and that this was reliable up to two to three weeks after surgery. This model could potentially be used in future research and in the investigation of new treatments.

Bilateral common carotid artery occlusion in the rat as a model of retinal ischaemia.
Huang Y, Fan S, Li J, Wang Y-L.
NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY
2014;38(4):180-9.