Efficacy of Aflibercept Treatment and its Effect on the Retinal Perfusion in the Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy Mouse Model of Retinopathy of Prematurity

This study investigates the efficacy of aflibercept at reducing areas of non-perfused retina and studies its effect on normal angiogenesis in the oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mouse model of ROP. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were assigned to room air control (n=21 eyes) or hyperoxia with 75% oxygen (n=84 eyes). The hyperoxic mice were assigned to one of three groups: 0 ng (n=14 eyes), 100 ng (n=35 eyes), or 1000 ng (n=35 eyes) of intravitreal aflibercept administered on postnatal day 14 (PN14). Eyes were enucleated at PN17 and PN25 post-injection. Retinas were stained with anti-collagen IV antibody and photographed with microscopy. Areas of perfused and non-perfused retina were quantified using ImageJ software. Statistical comparisons were made using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey post-hoc comparisons. Results: At PN17, there was no significant difference in the area of non-perfused retina between the hyperoxic control and the 100ng and 1000ng aflibercept groups. At PN25, the 100ng (p
Source: Ophthalmic Research - Category: Opthalmology Source Type: research