Ultrastructural changes of the retina after ocular blast injury in rabbits / 医学研究生学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the ultrastructural pathogenesis of retina injury by observing the ultrastructural changes under the transmission electron microscope(TEM) after ocular blast injury in rabbits.Methods: Ocular blast injury models were set up in 20 rabbits by the bow wave produced with a bioshock tube.The rabbits were sacrificed at scheduled times after injury,their retinas obtained and their ultrastructural changes observed by TEM.Results: The axonal ultrastructural changes of the retina induced by blast were summarized as follows.The microfilaments and microtubules were swollen and distorted in the early stage,followed by reactive swelling of the ganglion cells.The swollen mitochondria and endoplasmic reticula focally accumulated and the cytoskeleton was destroyed.Finally the intraaxonal cellular structure disappeared and the axon disconnected.Conclusion: Ocular blast injury may cause retinal ultrastructural changes.The pathological changes of ganglion cells in the optic nerve may be associated with the direct effect of the blast and/or ischemia and are possibly important factors in the pathogenesis of vision disturbance.