Digital image capture and quantification of subtle lens opacities in rodents

A rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective method is reported for the subjective and objective documentation of subtle opacities in lenses of unanesthetized transgenic mice or selenite-injected rat pups as models for cataract formation. Animal eyes were dilated with eye drops and the animal was position...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Biomedical Optics 2004-01, Vol.9 (1), p.116-120
Main Authors: Seeberger, T. M, Matsumoto, Y, Alizadeh, A, Fitzgerald, P. G, Clark, J. I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
animal models
Animals
cataract
Cataract - diagnosis
Cataract - physiopathology
digital imaging
Equipment Design
Equipment Failure Analysis
Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - instrumentation
Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods
lens
Microscopy, Video - instrumentation
Microscopy, Video - methods
opacification
Ophthalmoscopy - methods
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Refraction, Ocular
Refractometry - instrumentation
Refractometry - methods
Rodentia
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted - instrumentation
slit-lamp diagnostics
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Summary:A rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective method is reported for the subjective and objective documentation of subtle opacities in lenses of unanesthetized transgenic mice or selenite-injected rat pups as models for cataract formation. Animal eyes were dilated with eye drops and the animal was positioned in front of a Nikon FS2 photo slit lamp. Slit-lamp observations were recorded using a Canon Optura Pi digital video recorder. High-quality images of opacifying lenses were captured from the video and quantified using densitometry at progressive stages of opacification. In mice, targeted genomic deletion of the proteins CP49 (a lens-specific filament) or Six5 (a model for myotonic dystrophy) resulted in subtle cataracts that were easily recorded and quantified using this instrumentation. In rats, the early progressive changes leading to a dense nuclear opacity caused by selenite injection were easily documented using this instrumentation. Low-cost components combined with a conventional slit-lamp ophthalmoscope were used to capture high-quality images of selected stages of cataract formation for quantitative analysis using commercial software. ©
ISSN:1083-3668
1560-2281
DOI:10.1117/1.1630034