Evaluation of retinal function after retinal transplantation for light-induced retinal degeneration in miniature pigs / 第三军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the possibility that transplanting the full-thickness neonatal piggy retinas that are completely differentiated but immature improves the retinal function after light-induced retinal degeneration in pigs.Methods Retinas from normal Guangxi Bama pigs aged 1-6 days were used as donor tissues.Neuroretina-RPE cografts were obtained from newborn pigs by using excimer laser for microablation of choroidal tissue and transplanted into the subretinal cavity of adult Bama pigs after light-induced retinal degeneration through vitrectomy and retinotomy.On days 5-7 and in 1st to 5th month after retinal transplantation,the survival of the cografts in the recipients and whether the host retinas have rejection were observed by ophthalmoscope,colour fundus photography and fundus fluorescein angiography,and the amplitude and lantency of N1,P1 waves between different periods were measured by mfERG.Results The retinal transplantation was performed in 15 eyes of 8 Bama pigs after light-induced retinal degeneration.The subretinal transplantation of the cografts was performed successfully in 11 eyes,with the operation success rate of 84.6%(11/15).In host retina,the gray-black graft inside transplantation bed could be seen clearly in 1st to 2nd month after transplantation and the leaked fluorescence in transplants was checked with FFA.The vertical comparison between different periods showed the amplitude of N1,P1 waves of retinal transplants rose with the extension of the survival time,and the areas where active response was observed were ring 2 and ring 3;but the latency of N1,P1 waves was shortened significantly in each ring as compared with that before operation,especially in late survival period.Conclusion The function measurement and the observation of living body together confirm the transplantation of completely differentiated retina from newborn pigs improves the retinal function of pigs after light-induced retinal degeneration.