Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor for the development and progression of glaucoma. Animal models of glaucoma that mimic IOP elevation can greatly improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of glaucoma and serve as a useful tool for drug screening. However, naturally occurring glaucoma models are poor at controlling the process, so induced ocular hypertension glaucoma models have been developed with the aim of creating appropriate conditions for controlled experiments.
Ace Therapeutics offers a wide range of services for the development of IOP-dependent animal models of glaucoma through experimentally induced methods including various physical, chemical, and biological pathways.
Induced Glaucoma Model
General animal models of glaucoma include both spontaneous and induced. But usually, the experimental procedure of spontaneous glaucoma models is long and not well controlled. In contrast, experimentally induced glaucoma models are more suitable for experimental manipulation. Our construction process is usually based on various techniques that are more commonly used. For example, laser technology - can be used to find early interventions to prevent glaucoma. The microbead technique - an excellent induction method that can be used to assess IOP-induced pathology. And other methods that may be used.
Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of the microbead-induced glaucoma model. (Morgan J E and Tribble J R, 2015)
Our Services
Our aim is to obtain a broad range of glaucoma models through experimental induction. The experimental IOP elevation models designed and constructed by us can provide a valuable opportunity to discover and study the mechanisms of stress-induced glaucoma damage. Specific building techniques include, but are not limited to,
- Microbead method. We offer a technique for constructing a microbead-induced glaucoma model, which achieves sustained IOP elevation by blocking the trabecular meshwork with injected particulate matter. We can achieve a sustained IOP elevation starting at a precise time point to study the mechanism of glaucoma damage. For different species, we customize the use of microbeads of different sizes, volumes and concentrations, strictly controlling factors affecting IOP, such as injection technique, injection time and species differences.
- Laser photocoagulation method. We offer techniques for constructing animal models of laser-induced glaucoma, which increase IOP by disrupting the trabecular meshwork and increasing resistance to atrial outflow through laser treatment. We provide you with specialized ophthalmic equipment and expertise to titrate different laser parameters for each species because of trabecular meshwork differences to achieve appropriate, sustained IOP elevation.
- Hypertonic saline injection method. We offer techniques to construct animal models of glaucoma induced by hypertonic saline injection into the extra-scleral vein or corneal limbal vessels to increase resistance to aqueous outflow and thereby increase IOP. We are able to provide specialized microsurgical skills and specialized equipment to support the construction and use of this model to understand the mechanisms of glaucoma injury and to screen for potential drug treatments.
- Hyaluronic acid injection method. This technique impedes atrial aqueous outflow mainly by increasing the excess deposition of hyaluronic acid (HA). We maintain the elevated IOP by repeated injections.
- Glucocorticoids method. The approach is primarily through the continuous use of glucocorticoids in the eye.
Our Advantages
- Ability to construct accurate animal models of glaucoma that outline the morphological, biochemical and pathophysiological changes in glaucoma
- Accurate and repeatable IOP measurement with real-time monitoring
- Wide range of available species for constructing animal models
Contact us to customize your induced glaucoma animal model to make it suitable to answer your specific research questions.
References
- Morgan J E and Tribble J R. Microbead models in glaucoma. Experimental eye research, 2015, 141: 9-14.
- Morrison J C, et al. Modeling glaucoma in rats by sclerosing aqueous outflow pathways to elevate intraocular pressure. Experimental eye research, 2015, 141: 23-32.