Chronologic analysis of variations in retinal damage in two strains of rats after short-term illumination

In order to determine whether an optimal period existed for evaluating retinal photodamage in rats, a chronologic analysis was made of quantifiable changes in the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and retinal thicknesses in Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Wag/Rij rats after a single, 24 hr exposure to fluorescent light. A gradual reduction in ONL and retinal thicknesses occurred between postexposure days 0 and 10 and appeared to stabilize by day 14 in both strains. The percent difference in both ONL and retinal thickness in unexposed and exposed rats was greater in Wag/Rij than in SD rats. That the superior hemisphere of the retina was more susceptible to photodamage than the inferior was substantiated, and the difference was greater in the Wag/Rij than in SD rats. This finding emphasizes a significant variability between rat strains and is possibly a manifestation of the slowly progressing genetic retinopathy in the Wag/Rij rats. Results indicated that the optimal period for assessing photodamage under these experimental conditions was not sooner than 10 to 14 days after exposure. Quantifiable analyses prior to that time would not provide an accurate evaluation of the total influence of a short-tern exposure period.