Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 17, 2026
Application of Optical Coherence Tomography to a Mouse Model of Retinopathy
Published on: January 12, 2022
Enabling In Vivo Longitudinal Evaluation of Descemet's Membrane Thickness in Wild-type and FECD Mice Using
Hadiya Farhath Pattan1, Subashree Murugan1,2, Rajalekshmy Shyam1,3
1School of Optometry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States.
Purpose:
Descemet's membrane (DM) remodeling is a key factor in the etiology of early-onset Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). Although various mouse models have been developed to replicate major FECD phenotypes, including DM thickening, there is currently no imaging technique capable of evaluating changes in mice DM thickness in vivo. This work proposed a novel self-referenced optical coherence microscope (OCM) to longitudinally evaluate age-dependent and FECD-dependent changes in DM thickness in mice.
Methods:
The self-referenced OCM used the mouse corneal surface as the reference to mitigate artifacts from breathing-induced motion, steep corneal curvature, and dispersion mismatch, that often compromise the delineation of the DM in vivo. The approach was validated by longitudinally evaluating the DM thickness in four wild-type (WT) and five FECD mice at two time points-5 weeks of age and 16 weeks of age.
Results:
Unlike standard OCM, the self-referenced approach enabled the delineation of the DM with an axial resolution of 1.6 µm in the living eyes of WT and FECD mice. A significant increase in DM thickness was observed in FECD mice (2.74 ± 0.12 µm) compared with WT mice (1.85 ± 0.22 µm) at 5 weeks of age. A similar trend was observed at 16 weeks of age (3.20 ± 0.20 µm in FECD mice vs 2.21 ± 0.32 µm in WT mice). No age-dependent increase in DM thickness was observed in either group between 5 weeks of age and 16 weeks of age.
Conclusions:
This study represents the first longitudinal in vivo evaluation of age-dependent changes in DM thickness in both WT and FECD mice using self-referenced OCM.
Insights
A new self-referenced optical coherence microscope (OCM) allows in vivo measurement of Descemet
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomedical Imaging
- Corneal Science
Background:
- Descemet's membrane (DM) remodeling is central to Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD).
- Existing mouse models of FECD lack in vivo imaging for DM thickness evaluation.
- Accurate in vivo assessment of DM changes is crucial for understanding FECD pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel self-referenced optical coherence microscope (OCM) for longitudinal in vivo evaluation of DM thickness in mice.
- To assess age-dependent and FECD-dependent changes in DM thickness.
- To provide a tool for studying FECD in established mouse models.
Main Methods:
- A self-referenced OCM was designed using the mouse corneal surface as a reference to minimize motion and optical artifacts.
- The OCM's ability to delineate DM was validated in wild-type (WT) and FECD mice.
- Longitudinal measurements of DM thickness were performed at 5 and 16 weeks of age in both groups.
Main Results:
- The self-referenced OCM achieved an axial resolution of 1.6 µm for in vivo DM delineation.
- FECD mice exhibited significantly increased DM thickness compared to WT mice at 5 weeks (2.74 ± 0.12 µm vs 1.85 ± 0.22 µm) and 16 weeks (3.20 ± 0.20 µm vs 2.21 ± 0.32 µm).
- No significant age-dependent increase in DM thickness was observed within either group between 5 and 16 weeks of age.
Conclusions:
- This study introduces the first self-referenced OCM for longitudinal in vivo DM thickness evaluation in mice.
- The developed OCM successfully identified increased DM thickness in FECD mice, confirming its utility for FECD research.
- This technique offers a valuable tool for future studies on corneal diseases and their treatment.
More Related Videos
07:44In vivo Structural Assessments of Ocular Disease in Rodent Models using Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: July 24, 2020
06:19In Vivo Imaging of Cx3cr1gfp/gfp Reporter Mice with Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy
Published on: November 11, 2017