Abstract
Intraocular injections of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) or intraocular adenovirus-mediated CNTF gene transfer have been reported to inhibit retinal alterations in inherited retinal degeneration in mice strains. To investigate whether or not CNTF administered by eye drops prevents retinal degeneration in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, recombinant CNTF was administered to eyes of diabetic rats (n=20) twice daily for 1 month after the onset of diabetes. The b-wave amplitude of electroretinogram in CNTF-administered diabetic rats was significantly larger than that of diabetic rats, and approached that of the controls. Atrophy of the inner plexiform layer, and cavity formation in the pigment epithelium, which were observed in diabetic rats, were prevented in CNTF-administered diabetic rats. These results indicate that CNTF administration by eye drops prevents retinal degeneration in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Atrophy / drug therapy
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Atrophy / physiopathology
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Atrophy / prevention & control
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Blood Glucose
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Cell Death / drug effects
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Cell Death / physiology
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Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor / administration & dosage
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Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor / therapeutic use*
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Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / chemically induced
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Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / complications*
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Electroretinography / drug effects
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Instillation, Drug
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Male
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Nerve Degeneration / etiology
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Nerve Degeneration / physiopathology
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Nerve Degeneration / prevention & control*
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Neurons / drug effects
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Neurons / pathology
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Pigment Epithelium of Eye / drug effects
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Pigment Epithelium of Eye / pathology
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Pigment Epithelium of Eye / physiopathology
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Rats
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Recombinant Proteins / administration & dosage
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Recombinant Proteins / therapeutic use
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Retinal Degeneration / etiology
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Retinal Degeneration / physiopathology
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Retinal Degeneration / prevention & control*
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Treatment Outcome
Substances
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Blood Glucose
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Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor
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Recombinant Proteins