In vivo evaluation of retinal injury after transient ischemia in hypertensive rats

A number of studies have suggested that hypertension affects the pathogenesis of inflammatory reactions in various organs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of hypertension on leukocyte - endothelial interactions after transient retinal ischemia. Transient retinal ischemia was induced for 60 minutes in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and in age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). At 4, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after reperfusion, flat-mount retinas were prepared to evaluate the density of leukocytes that had been accumulated in the retina. Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) mRNA expression was studied by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction and ICAM-1 protein levels were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. At 14 days after reperfusion, the retinal damage and the effect of superoxide dismutase on the damage were evaluated histologically. In SHR, the number of accumulated leukocytes peaked at 48 hours after reperfusion, and it was upregulated to 5.2-fold, as compared with that of WKY ( P < 0.001). ICAM-1 mRNA expression and ICAM-1 protein levels were increased significantly in the ischemia-reperfused retina in SHR compared with WKY ( P < 0.05). Histological examination demonstrated marked increase in the retinal ischemia/reperfusion damage in SHR ( P < 0.01) and a significant amelioration of the damage by treatment with superoxide dismutase in SHR ( P < 0.05). Oxidative stress may thus be an important mechanism for the deterioration seen in ischemia/reperfusion injury in the SHR retina.