Transconjunctival Approach for Injection into the Rat Optic Nerve

Elaine Binkley; H. Culver Boldt; Lorena Haefeli; Lola P. Lozano; Emily Meyering; Luke Wiley; Budd Tucker

doi:10.3791/68048

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Transconjunctival Approach for Injection into the Rat Optic Nerve

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Transconjunctival Approach for Injection into the Rat Optic Nerve

Elaine Binkley, H. Culver Boldt, Lorena Haefeli, Lola P. Lozano, Emily Meyering, Luke Wiley and Budd Tucker

Journal of visualized experiments, Vol.218(218), e68048

04/04/2025

DOI: 10.3791/68048

PMID: 40257928

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Abstract

The rat serves as an important model for studying disorders of the optic nerve, including heritable, traumatic, neoplastic, and autoimmune conditions. Accessing the rat optic nerve for experimental manipulations and injections is challenging due to the small size of the orbit and the vascularity of the surrounding orbital tissues. Previous techniques have involved a cutaneous incision, which carries a higher risk of infection and requires wound closure. This study aims to describe a unique, less invasive, and potentially more efficient approach to accessing the rat optic nerve. A transconjunctival incision, along with a rat spinal cord hook, is used to isolate the optic nerve for experimental injections. In these experiments, an adenoviral vector is injected into the optic nerve with the goal of using this technique for direct gene therapy delivery in the future. This technique can also be applied by investigators requiring access to the rat optic nerve for other experimental studies, including drug delivery and optic nerve injury research.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Transconjunctival Approach for Injection into the Rat Optic Nerve
Creators: Elaine Binkley - University of Iowa, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
H. Culver Boldt - University of Iowa
Lorena Haefeli - University of Iowa, The University of Iowa Institute for Vision Research
Lola P. Lozano - University of Iowa
Emily Meyering - University of Iowa, The University of Iowa Institute for Vision Research
Luke Wiley - University of Iowa, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Budd Tucker - University of Iowa, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of visualized experiments, Vol.218(218), e68048
Publisher: JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS; CAMBRIDGE
DOI: 10.3791/68048
PMID: 40257928
ISSN: 1940-087X
eISSN: 1940-087X
Grant note: Gilbert Family Foundation
The authors would like to acknowledge the Gilbert Family Foundation for funding this project.
Language: English
Date published: 04/04/2025
Academic Unit: The University of Iowa Institute for Vision Research; Neuroscience and Pharmacology; Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Record Identifier: 9984808282202771

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