What eye diseases do rats have? - briefly
Rats commonly develop cataracts, retinal degeneration, corneal ulceration, and uveitis, often associated with genetic factors, aging, or infectious agents.
What eye diseases do rats have? - in detail
Rats are frequently used in biomedical research, making knowledge of their ocular pathology essential for interpreting experimental outcomes. Several naturally occurring and experimentally induced conditions affect the visual apparatus of these rodents.
- Cataract formation – lens opacity develops with age or after exposure to oxidative stress; histological examination reveals protein aggregation and loss of fiber cell organization.
- Retinal degeneration – mutations such as rd1 and rd10 produce progressive loss of photoreceptors, leading to diminished electroretinographic responses and eventual blindness.
- Glaucoma – elevated intra‑ocular pressure can result from angle closure or impaired outflow, causing optic nerve head cupping and retinal ganglion cell death.
- Uveitis – inflammatory infiltration of the uveal tract, often triggered by infectious agents or autoimmune mechanisms, presents with anterior chamber cells, fibrin, and posterior segment edema.
- Keratitis and corneal dystrophy – epithelial defects, stromal ulceration, or deposits of abnormal material compromise corneal transparency; bacterial colonization is a common secondary factor.
- Optic nerve hypoplasia – congenital underdevelopment of the optic nerve reduces axonal density, detectable by reduced nerve fiber layer thickness on optical coherence tomography.
Additional conditions observed in laboratory colonies include:
- Diabetic retinopathy model – streptozotocin‑induced hyperglycemia leads to microvascular leakage, pericyte loss, and neovascularization.
- Retinitis pigmentosa analogues – targeted gene knock‑outs mimic human RP, producing rod photoreceptor apoptosis and subsequent cone degeneration.
- Age‑related macular changes – accumulation of lipofuscin and drusen‑like deposits occur in older animals, mirroring human macular degeneration.
Diagnostic procedures rely on:
- Direct ophthalmoscopy and slit‑lamp biomicroscopy for anterior and posterior segment assessment.
- Electroretinography to quantify photoreceptor and inner retinal function.
- Optical coherence tomography for high‑resolution cross‑sectional imaging of retinal layers.
- Histopathological staining (H&E, immunohistochemistry) to confirm cellular alterations.
Therapeutic interventions are limited but include:
- Surgical cataract extraction with intra‑ocular lens implantation for functional restoration.
- Topical or systemic anti‑inflammatory agents (e.g., corticosteroids, NSAIDs) to control uveitis.
- Intra‑ocular pressure‑lowering medications (beta‑blockers, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors) for glaucoma management.
- Gene‑editing techniques (CRISPR/Cas9) and viral vector–mediated gene replacement to correct inherited retinal defects.
Understanding these ocular diseases enables accurate interpretation of visual‑related data and informs the development of translational therapies.