Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 13, 2026

In vivo Structural Assessments of Ocular Disease in Rodent Models using Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: July 24, 2020
In Vivo Small Molecule Delivery to the Optic Nerve in a Rodent Model
Shandiz Tehrani1, R Katherine Delf2, William O Cepurna2
1Casey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. tehrani@ohsu.edu.
Abstract:
Small molecule delivery to the optic nerve would allow for exploration of molecular and cellular pathways involved in normal physiology and optic neuropathies such as glaucoma, and provide a tool for screening therapeutics in animal models. We report a novel surgical method for small molecule drug delivery to the optic nerve head (ONH) in a rodent model. In proof-of-principle experiments, we delivered cytochalasin D (Cyt D; a filamentous actin inhibitor) to the junction of the superior optic nerve and globe in rats to target the actin-rich astrocytic cytoskeleton of the ONH. Cyt D delivery was quantified by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry of isolated optic nerve tissue. One day after Cyt D delivery, anterior ONH filamentous actin bundle content was significantly reduced as assessed by fluorescent-tagged phalloidin labeling, relative to sham delivery. Anterior ONH nuclear counts and axon-specific beta-3 tubulin levels, as well as peripapillary retinal ganglion cell layer nuclear counts were not significantly altered after Cyt D delivery relative to sham delivery. Lastly, the surgical delivery technique caused minimal observable axon degeneration up to 10 days post-surgery. This small molecule delivery technique provides a new approach to studying optic neuropathies in in vivo rodent models.
Related Concept Videos
Molecules and Compounds
Types of Signaling Molecules
Spinal Nerves: Plexus II
The Lumbar Plexus
The lumbar plexus is situated within the lumbar region of the back and is primarily formed by the first four lumbar spinal nerves (L1 to L4). This plexus extends its branches into several nerves, including the...
Nerve Supply of the GI Tract
The enteric nervous system consists of two major plexuses: the myenteric plexus (Auerbach's plexus) and the submucosal plexus (Meissner's plexus). These plexuses are located within the layers of...
Behavior of Gas Molecules: Molecular Diffusion, Mean Free Path, and Effusion
Positive Regulator Molecules

