MicroCT as a Viable Option for Histological Analysis of Ocular Tissue

MicroCT as a Viable Option for Histological Analysis of Ocular Tissue

Three-dimensional imaging of ocular tissue enhances understanding of the molecular mechanisms of disease. Stereology is currently the gold standard for producing such images. However, the labor- intensive nature of stereology makes it less than ideal. Other current high-resolution three-dimensional modalities e.g., CT and MRI, are not able to generate histologically equivalent images. This necessitates the adoption of a novel technique. Microcomputed tomography (MicroCT) has the potential to produce the desired images at high-resolutions. Due to the novelty of MicroCT as it applies to imaging ocular structures, protocols do not exist. The pilot data gathered in this study will explicate an appropriate protocol for the histologic imaging of ocular tissue in a Norwegian Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) model. Additionally, the general parameters for operating the MicroCT unit will be determined. This study aims to establish MicroCT as a viable option for histological analysis of ocular tissue. Areas open to future investigation include the quantitative analyses of (l) vascular changes around the optic nerve in a rat model of glaucoma and of (2) bacterial populations in the induction of the intraocular inflammatory response in a rat model of infection.