Effect of Endoscopic White Light on the Developing Rat Retina

Abstract

Objective: Our goal was to determine the effect of endoscopic white light on the developing mammalian retina by quantitative histological analysis. Study Design: Albino rats at postnatal days 10 (n = 16) and 16 (n = 20) were exposed to endoscopic white light for 1 h, while an equal number of littermate controls were not exposed, but otherwise treated identically. The thickness of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and the total retinal thickness were measured light microscopically using a computer-assisted morphometry program. Results: We found no statistically significant decrease in the thickness of the ONL or the total retinal thickness, nor were any significant decreases found in the ONL or the total retinal thickness for male or female groups. Conclusion: Endoscopic white light does not cause damage to the developing rodent neural retina detectable at the light microscopic level.