Changes of visual development in critical period produced by monocular chronic atropinization in rats / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

ABSTRACT

AIM:To investigate the changes of visual development produced by monocular atropinization in rats. METHODS: Twenty normal SD rats were randomly divided into two groups: control group ( n = 10 ) and atropinization ( experimental) group ( n=10 ) . All the left eyes were selected as the experimental eyes, and the right eyes served as the normal eyes. The left eyes in atropinization group was produced by 1% atropine, 3 times a day and the right eyes in control group was treated with normal saline, 3 times a day. The flash visual evoked potentials ( F-VEP ) and retinoscopy refraction of the rats'both eyes were detected at five time points:0, 7, 14, 21, and 28d after atropinization, respectively. After 28d, six rats were randomly selected from both groups and each group had three rats. The expression of the c- fos mRNA was observed in both visual cortexes. Another six rats were chosen for the same test after 2d dark environment with 2h light later. The expression of c-fos mRNA was detected again. RESULTS: After 14d anisometropia was observed in experimental group, the difference was 3. 9D ( P 0.0 5 ) , F-VEP P1 wave of the rats left in experimental group was reached to 88. 9±1. 889ms at 21d, there was statistical difference compared with the right eye ( PCONCLUSION: In the critical period of visual development, monocular chronic atropine in rats can form anisometropia, may delay the transmission of the optic nerve, hinder the normal development of the visual cortex. Monocular atropinization in rats can be used as the model of anisometropia.