Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026
A Step by Step Protocol for Subretinal Surgery in Rabbits
Published on: September 13, 2016
Preclinical safety evaluation of subconjunctival methotrexate in the rabbit model
Raj Savla1, Manisha Malani1, Soumyava Basu2
1Translational Pharmaceutics Research Laboratory (TPRL), Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, India.
Purpose:
To assess the safety of subconjunctival methotrexate in New Zealand White rabbits.
Methods:
The New Zealand white rabbits received subconjunctival injections of methotrexate in the right eye with amounts of 400, 800, 1600, and 3200 μg. Slit lamp biomicroscopy and corneal fluorescein staining were used to assess the anterior segment of the eye. Vitreous haze and fundus abnormalities were evaluated using slit lamp indirect ophthalmoscopy. The intraocular pressure was measured using a rebound tonometer. After 30 days of methotrexate administration, the rabbits were sacrificed, and their eyeballs were enucleated for histological analysis.
Results:
Upon examination, no obvious changes were observed in the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. The intraocular pressure levels of the injected eye, prior to and after injections, did not show any significant difference. Furthermore, the ocular tissue displayed no signs of histological alterations.
Conclusion:
Methotrexate injected via the subconjunctival route (up to 3200 μg) was found to be safe and well-tolerated in the rabbit model. However, future investigations are required to assess the pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy in the disease-specific animal model.
