Conclusions
Our results indicate that intravitreal injection of BMMNC reduces neural and vascular damages and results in recovered retinal function in rat model of ROP. Ease of extraction without in vitro processing, besides the therapeutic effects of BMMNCs, make this source of cells as a new choice of therapy for ROP or other retinal ischemic diseases.
Methods
Ten newborn Wistar rats were divided randomly into the control and the oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) groups. Animals in the OIR group were incubated in an oxygen chamber to induce retinopathy. One eye of animals in the OIR group received BMMNC suspension (treated eyes), and the contralateral eye received the same volume of saline injection. Then, all animals underwent funduscopy, angiography, electroretinography, histopathology and immunohistochemical assessments.
Results
Compared to the saline injection group, eyes treated with BMMNC had less vascular tortuosity while veins and arteries had relatively the same caliber, as revealed by fundus examinations. Eyes in the treatment group showed significantly elevated photopic and scotopic B waves amplitude. Neovascularization in the inner retinal layer and apoptosis of neural retina cells in the treatment group was significantly lower compared to untreated eyes. Also, BMMNC transplantation decreased glial cell activation and VEGF expression in ischemic retina. Conclusions: Our results indicate that intravitreal injection of BMMNC reduces neural and vascular damages and results in recovered retinal function in rat model of ROP. Ease of extraction without in vitro processing, besides the therapeutic effects of BMMNCs, make this source of cells as a new choice of therapy for ROP or other retinal ischemic diseases.