Purpose:

To investigate feasibility of intravitreal implantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells(MSC) in the rabbit tapetoretinal degeneration model.

Methods:

The fourth passage MSC harvested from proximal femur of an adult New Zea-land albino rabbit, and differentiated from stromal cells under in-vitro conditions, were used at GATA Medical Research Center. Intravenous injection of Sodium iodate, 40 mg/kg, was appli-ed to 6 adult pigmented rabbits (study group). Subsequently, the MSC (2.5x10(5) cells/0.1ml) were injected intravitreally in the right eyes of these animals and 1 additional pigmented rabbit (control); the left eyes were injected BSS. Ophthalmascopic, fluorescein angiographic, OCT, ERG and histopathologic examinations were performed 1, 5, 10, 20, and 30 days after intravitreal injection.

Results:

On the 1st. day examination, abnormal ERG parameters in the study group, and minimal irregularity and edema of the inner retinal layers and the RPE in both eyes of 1 rabbit examined histopathologically, were observed. On the 5th day, loss of b waves in ERG, retinal thickening in OCT, and irregularity of the inner retinal and photoreceptor layers in histopathologic examination of 1 rabbit in the study group were observed. On the 10th day, hyperfluorescent and hypofluorescent spots in the FA, loss of ERG b wave in the study group, and irregularity of photoreceptor layer with remarkable pigmentary dispersion extending from the RPE to the Cho-roid, more evident in the left eye of histopathologically examined one were noted. On the 20th day; apparent pigmentary degeneration in both eyes associated with increased scotopic-ERG amplitudes, more evident in the right eyes, were found. Higher b-wave amplitude in the right eye maintained also on the 30th day examination.No clinical or histological inflammation sign was observed in the right eye of the control rabbit.

Conclusions:

Intravitreal allogenic stem cell implantation in eyes with tapetoretinal degeneration seems to be feasible method.

Keywords: intravitreal implantation, mesenchymal stem cell, rabbit, tapetoretinal degeneration