Purpose: Mice carrying pathogenic variants in the microphthalmia transcription factor (Mitf) gene show structural and functional changes in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium. The purpose of this study was to assess the vascular changes in Mitf mice carrying pathogenic variants by determining their retinal vessel diameter. Methods: Mice examined in this study were: B6-Mitf mi-vga9/+ (n = 6), B6-Mitf mi-enu22(398) /Mitf mi-enu22(398) (n = 6) and C57BL/6J wild type mice (n = 6), all 3 months old. Fundus images were taken with a Micron IV camera after intraperitoneal injection of fluorescein salt. Images were adjusted to enhance contrast and a custom written MATLAB program used to extract the mean vascular diameter at a pre-defined distance from the optic disc. The number of vessels, mean diameter and mean total diameter were examined. Results: The mean diameter of retinal veins in Mitf mi-enu22(398) /Mitf mi-enu22(398) mice was 18.8% larger than in wild type (p = 0.026). No differences in the mean diameter of the retinal arteries were found between the genotypes. Mitf mi-enu22(398) /Mitf mi-enu22(398) mice have 17.2% more retinal arteries (p = 0.026), and 15.6% more retinal veins (p = 0.041) than wild type. A 24.8% increase was observed in the mean combined arterial diameter in mice with the Mitf mi-enu22(398)/ Mitf mi-enu22(398) compared to wild type mice (p = 0.024). A 38.6% increase was found in the mean combined venular diameter in mice with the Mitf mi-enu22(398) /Mitf mi-enu22(398) pathogenic variation as compared to wild type (p = 0.004). The mean combined retinal venular diameter in the Mitf mi-vga9/+ mice was 17.8% larger than in wild type (p = 0.03). Conclusion: An increase in vascularization of the retina in Mitf mi-enu22(398) / Mitf mi-enu22(398) mice was found, indicating an increased demand for blood flow to the retina.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.