Noninvasive assessment of chorioretinal oxygenation changes in experimental carotid occlusion

To demonstrate the capability of our optical imaging system to assess oxygenation changes in chorioretinal vasculatures due to experimentally induced carotid occlusion.

Chorioretinal oxygenation was assessed by projecting a narrow laser line at an angle on the retina after intravenous injection of an oxygen sensitive probe and imaging phosphorescence emission. Optical section phosphorescence imaging was performed in rats, under steady-state conditions and during unilateral occlusion of the common carotid artery. Phosphorescence intensity was measured in the retinal vein, artery, capillaries, and choroid vascular areas. Oxygenation was defined as the inverse of phosphorescence intensity. Oxygenation changes in the four vascular areas were determined relative to initial preocclusion oxygenation values and compared to measured changes under steady-state conditions.

Under steady-state conditions, phosphorescence intensity in chorioretinal vasculatures remained constant, displaying a change of < or = 8% over time. At 12 +/- 5 s from initiation of occlusion, oxygenation decreased in the retinal venous, arterial, capillary, and choroidal circulations by -41 +/-19%, -10 +/- 5%, -20 +/- 18%, -10 +/- 5%, respectively (p < or = 0.05; n = 6). At 30 +/- 10 s from initiation of occlusion, oxygenation change in the retinal vein, artery, capillaries, and choroid was -9 +/- 12%, -2 +/- 4%, -11 +/- 21%, -1 +/- 8%, respectively, and not statistically different as compared to steady-state oxygenation changes (p > or = 0.3; n = 6).

Optical section phosphorescence imaging technique can be used to assess intravascular oxygenation changes and may be a valuable tool for studying disease-related oxygen dynamics in the chorioretinal vasculatures.