Preliminary study on retinal vascular and oxygen-related changes after long-term silicone oil and foldable capsular vitreous body tamponade

Sci Rep. 2014 Jun 12:4:5272. doi: 10.1038/srep05272.

Abstract

Silicone oil has been the only long-term vitreous substitute used in the treatment of retinal detachment since 1962 by Cibis. Nevertheless, its effects on retinal vascular morphology and oxygen supply to the retina are ambiguous in current research. We previously invented a foldable capsular vitreous body (FCVB) to use as a new vitreous substitute in the treatment of severe retinal detachment, but its effects on the retinal vessel were unknown. Therefore, in this study, a standard three-port pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) was performed on the right eye of each rabbit and then silicone oil and FCVB were injected into the vitreous cavity as vitreous substitutes. After 180 days of retention, the retinal vascular morphology did not display any distinct abnormalities, and hypoxia-induced factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) did not vary markedly during the observation period in silicone oil tamponade- and FCVB-implanted eyes. This study may suggest that silicone oil and FCVB tamponade in rabbit eyes did not cause retinal vascular pathologic changes or retinal hypoxia for 180 days.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Hypoxia / metabolism
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / metabolism
  • Oxygen / metabolism*
  • Rabbits
  • Retina / drug effects
  • Retina / metabolism
  • Retina / surgery
  • Retinal Vessels / drug effects*
  • Retinal Vessels / metabolism*
  • Silicone Oils / administration & dosage*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Vitrectomy / methods
  • Vitreous Body / drug effects*
  • Vitreous Body / surgery

Substances

  • Hif1a protein, rat
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
  • Silicone Oils
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Oxygen