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Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Development of a Noninvasive, Laser-Assisted Experimental Model of Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss
Published on: April 24, 2020
No side effects on rabbit retina or vitreous microenvironment by nd:YAG laser vitreolysis
Tiezhu Lin1, Mingqin Zhang2,3, Bing Wu2,4
1Center for Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People' Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, China.
Background:
To explore the safety of Neodymium:Yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser vitreolysis based on the histological examination of the retina and the alteration of vitreous cytokines in the rabbits.
Methods:
Nine male New Zealand rabbits underwent Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis of 10 mJ x 500 pulses in the left eyes, while the right eyes were used as controls. Intraocular pressure, color fundus photography, and ultrasound B scan were measured before, as well as 1 day, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks after Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis. Three rabbits were euthanized 1 day, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks after treatment, respectively. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining were used to look for pathological changes in the retina. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was utilized to detect the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and some inflammatory cytokines, including interferon inducible protein 10 (IP-10), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and interlenkin 6 (IL-6) in the vitreous humor. The ascorbic acid (AsA) and total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) in the vitreous humor were also measured.
Results:
Following Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis, the levels of VEGF, IP-10, MCP-1, IL6, AsA, and TRAP in the vitreous humor did not change substantially (P > 0.05). There were no detectable pathological changes in the retinal tissues, and no apoptotic signal was found.
Conclusions:
Rabbits tolerate Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis without observable impact on retinal tissue or the microenvironment of the vitreous.

