The lamina cribrosa likely plays an important role in retinal ganglion cell axon injury in glaucoma. We sought to (1) better understand optic nerve head (ONH) structure and anterior lamina cribrosa surface (ALCS) microarchitecture between fellow eyes of living, normal non-human primates and (2) characterize the time-course of in vivo structural changes in the ONH, ALCS microarchitecture, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) in non-human primate eyes with early experimental glaucoma (EG). Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) images of the ONH were acquired cross-sectionally in six bilaterally normal rhesus monkeys, and before and approximately every two weeks after inducing unilateral EG in seven rhesus monkeys. ONH parameters and RNFLT were quantified from segmented SDOCT images. Mean ALCS pore area, elongation and nearest neighbor distance (NND) were quantified globally, in sectors and regionally from adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope images. In bilaterally normal monkeys, ONH parameters were similar between fellow eyes with few inter-eye differences in ALCS pore parameters. In EG monkeys, an increase in mean ALCS Depth (ALCSD) was the first structural change measured in 6 of 7 EG eyes. A decrease in mean minimum rim width (MRW) simultaneously accompanied this early change in 4 of 6 EG eyes and was the first structural change in the 7th EG eye. Mean ALCS pore parameters were among the first or second changes measured in 4 EG eyes. Mean ALCS pore area and NND increased in superotemporal and temporal sectors and in central and peripheral regions at the first time-point of change in ALCS pore geometry. RNFLT and/or mean ALCS radius of curvature were typically the last parameters to initially change. Survival analyses found mean ALCSD was the only parameter to significantly show an initial change prior to the first measured loss in RNFLT across EG eyes.
Purpose:
To assess the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effect of a biodegradable bimatoprost implant following selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in a canine model.
Methods:
Unilateral SLT was performed in 11 normotensive, treatment-naive beagle dogs. IOP was measured at baseline (pre-SLT) and weekly post-SLT (≤10 weeks). After IOP returned to baseline or at 10 weeks (whichever occurred first), a sustained-release bimatoprost implant was administered bilaterally in the anterior chamber of each animal. IOP was measured weekly for 4 weeks and then every 2 weeks up to week 42.
Results:
The main outcomes included the IOP change (%) from baseline, calculated in both eyes in the overall population, SLT responder subgroup (defined by peak IOP reduction from baseline ≥3 mmHg or ≥15% for >1 week post-SLT), and SLT nonresponder subgroup (defined by peak IOP reduction from baseline <3 mmHg or <15%). The bimatoprost implant lowered IOP similarly in both the SLT-treated and fellow SLT-naive eyes. Following bimatoprost implant administration, the mean (standard deviation [SD]) peak IOP reduction from baseline was 34.4% (8.5%) in SLT-treated eyes and 35.7% (5.9%) in fellow SLT-naive eyes. The bimatoprost implant lowered IOP comparably (
P
> 0.17) in eyes that responded to SLT (mean [SD] peak IOP reduction, 34.6% [10.7%];
n
= 6) and those that did not (mean [SD] peak IOP reduction, 34.1% [6.1%];
n
= 5).
Conclusion:
The bimatoprost implant effectively lowered IOP in eyes pretreated with SLT, regardless of response to SLT. The current data suggest that eyes previously treated with SLT can still benefit from the intracameral bimatoprost implant.
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