Nguyen, Matthew

Abnormal vasculature in the retina, specifically tortuous blood vessels, are common to many of the most prevalent retinal degenerative diseases currently affecting millions across the world. The mechanisms of their formation and development in the context of retinal degenerative disease, however, are still poorly understood. The rd1 and rd10 mice are relatively well-studied animal models of retinal degenerative disease, however, there lacks a systematic characterization of vascular changes co-related to photoreceptor degeneration in the rd1 and rd10 retina. Here, we utilize advancements in confocal microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and image analysis software in order to systematically characterize vascular changes before and after retinal development in the rd1 and rd10 mice. We show that there are plexus specific changes in the retinal vasculature that parallel photoreceptor degeneration. Such information will be of particular use to future studies investigating the role of vascular changes in retinal degenerative disease therapies.

Tortuous, or twisted, arteries and veins are commonly
observed in humans and animals diagnosed with
diseases caused by the degeneration of photoreceptor
cells. However, the mechanisms of their formation
and development are poorly understood. We used
immunocytochemical, confocal imaging and computer
remodeling techniques to map the angiographic
changes in the photoreceptor degenerative mouse
model, pde6d (rd1) mice. We found that mechanical instability and rewiring in the distal retina of rd1 mice
could be mechanisms for the initiation and development
of these tortuous vessels. We also found that in
the late stages of retinal degeneration, severe tortuosity
leads to ischemic attack in the distal retina. This
study provides valuable insights into understanding
the pathologic changes of retinal blood vessels in the
development of diseases in humans and animals.