All examinations were conducted under general anesthesia. All mice were examined by funduscopy using a contact fundus camera (MICRON III; Phoenix Research Labs, Pleasanton, CA). The integrity of the retina was assessed, the number of drusen-like retinal spots (DRS) was counted, RPE atrophy evaluated, and CNV noted.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT; small animal OCT; Thorlabs, Lübeck, Germany) was applied via contact optics to evaluate the retinal structure, confirm retinal integrity after laser treatment, and to confirm CNV. After laser treatment, it was used to investigate anatomic integrity of retinal layers. Retinal layer borders were determined and marked manually by a blinded investigator. Outer nuclear layer thickness was measured in a blinded standardized manner manually, using Thorlabs OCT software. Four measurements in each eye were carried out at 400 and 600 μm temporal as well as 400 and 600 μm nasal to the optic disc, before and 1 month after SRT. Thickness mean was compared by Student's t-test.
Fluorescein (10% Fluorescein, 60-mg/kg bodyweight in 100 μL saline intraperitoneally; Alcon Pharma, Freiburg, Germany) angiography (FLA; MICRON III) was performed after laser treatment to evaluate vessel integrity, to detect vessel leakage, and to confirm possible CNV formation.
All examinations were repeated at the day of enucleation, thus 1 month after laser treatment.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT; small animal OCT; Thorlabs, Lübeck, Germany) was applied via contact optics to evaluate the retinal structure, confirm retinal integrity after laser treatment, and to confirm CNV. After laser treatment, it was used to investigate anatomic integrity of retinal layers. Retinal layer borders were determined and marked manually by a blinded investigator. Outer nuclear layer thickness was measured in a blinded standardized manner manually, using Thorlabs OCT software. Four measurements in each eye were carried out at 400 and 600 μm temporal as well as 400 and 600 μm nasal to the optic disc, before and 1 month after SRT. Thickness mean was compared by Student's t-test.
Fluorescein (10% Fluorescein, 60-mg/kg bodyweight in 100 μL saline intraperitoneally; Alcon Pharma, Freiburg, Germany) angiography (FLA; MICRON III) was performed after laser treatment to evaluate vessel integrity, to detect vessel leakage, and to confirm possible CNV formation.
All examinations were repeated at the day of enucleation, thus 1 month after laser treatment.