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Customized Rodent Models of Optic Nerve Crush (ONC)

The mouse optic nerve crush (ONC) model has been widely used to study axonal damage and repair in optic neuropathy. With rich experience and state-of-the-art technology, Ace Therapeutics provides high-quality optic nerve injury mouse models to help our customers deeply understand the mechanism of neuronal death/survival and test the efficacy of different types of optic neuropathy protective agents. Here, our team of experts will always stand on the same starting line with you to meet all possible challenges, and help you quickly advance your project to the next stage.

Rodent Models of Optic Nerve Crush (ONC)

Optic Nerve Injury Model and Eye Disease

In a range of diseases, including traumatic optic neuropathy and glaucoma, retinal nerve damage leads to axonal degeneration followed by progressive death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), leading to irreversible vision loss. At present, the cause of RGC loss is unclear. In order to further elucidate the mechanism of occurrence and development of RGC death, an effective animal model is needed to study the relevant pathogenic mechanisms of neuronal injury signals in vivo. The rodent optic nerve crush (ONC) model is an ideal model for traumatic optic neuropathy and glaucomatous injury, as it similarly induces RGC cell death and degeneration, allowing for the efficient study of pathogenic mechanisms associated with these deleterious events in order to identify molecules with therapeutic potential for eventual use as drug treatments against glaucomatous neurodegeneration and optic neuroprotective therapy.

Fig. 1. Schematic illustration of the optic nerve crush (ONC) injury in mice. (Norat P, et al., 2021)

Service Overview

The optic nerve injury model is a valuable experimental model for simulating human traumatic optic neuropathy, glaucoma, and other diseases. As a leader in ophthalmic pharmacology analysis, Ace Therapeutics has successfully developed and validated optic nerve injury mouse models to serve our global customers. This model mimics the optic nerve under pathological conditions through mechanical injury. In this model, optic nerve crush injury leads to retinal ganglion cells' gradual apoptosis.

What attracts our clients is that our extensively validated mouse model of optic nerve injury can be used to study the general process and mechanism of neuronal death/survival, thereby accelerating the identification of potential therapeutic measures. Furthermore, the model allows the use of pharmacological and molecular approaches to identify and test potential therapeutic agents for different types of optic neuropathy.

Explore Ace Therapeutics' Rodent Models of Optic Nerve Crush

Mice were deeply anesthetized, and Ace Therapeutics' researchers create optic nerve damage by applying a crush injury to the optic nerve at a distance of approximately 2 mm from the eyeball for approximately 3 seconds using self-closing forceps. Due to mechanical injury, optic axons begin to degenerate and in turn lead to apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and ultimately RGC loss. This model is acute and has been used extensively by our clients to examine the pathophysiology of glaucoma disease and to facilitate the development of new therapies.

It is worth mentioning that three days before optic nerve crush injury, our scientists retrogradely marked retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) by injecting a neural tracer dye into the superior colliculus of mice. The dye will be taken up retrogradely by retinal ganglion cells and labeled viable RGCs. This method yields reproducibly labeled viable RGCs with small variation, facilitating endpoint RGC assessment.

Available Support Services

In order to verify whether the model is successfully established and to test the level of neuroprotection after compound administration, Ace Therapeutics also provides the following series of supporting services to determine the endpoint, including but not limited to:

Vision assessment.
Fundoscopy.
Fluorescein angiography.
OCT quantization at the retinal layer.
Quantification of RGC viability.
Quantification of caspase3 activation in optic neurons.
Density and integrity assessment of RGC axes.
Morphological analysis.
Pattern ERG analysis of RGC function.

With a deep understanding of optic nerve injury, Ace Therapeutics has successfully developed a highly reproducible rodent optic nerve injury model. Based on your specific requirements, our experts will determine the best solution for your project. If you are interested in our services or need more detailed information, please feel free to contact us. Our experienced scientists are ready to help you!

References

Norat P, Gao J, Soldozy S, et al. A standardized crush tool to produce consistent retinal ganglion cell damage in mice. Neural Regen Res. 2021, 16(7):1442-1443.
Tang Z, Zhang S, Lee C, et al. An optic nerve crush injury murine model to study retinal ganglion cell survival. J Vis Exp. 2011, 25;(50):2685.
Li L, Huang H, Fang F, et al. Longitudinal Morphological and Functional Assessment of RGC Neurodegeneration After Optic Nerve Crush in Mouse. Front Cell Neurosci. 2020, 14:109.

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