Quantification of erythrocyte flow in the choroid of the albino
rat.
Braun, Rod D., Mark W. Dewhirst, and Diane L. Hatchell.
Departments of Ophthalmology, Radiation Oncology, and Cell Biology,
Duke University, Durham, NC 27710; Durham VAMC, Durham, NC 27705
APStracts 3:0416H, 1996.
Choroidal blood flow is one of the highest in the body on a global
volume basis. Little is known, however, about flow through individual
vessels, which has important consequences for ocular blood delivery
and oxygen transport. The purpose of this study was to use a new
epifluorescent technique to view, record and quantify erythrocyte
(RBC) flow in individual rat choroidal vessels through the intact
sclera. With the Sprague-Dawley rats under urethane anesthesia,
rhodamine-labelled liposomes were injected IV and served as a plasma
marker. Rat RBCs were labelled ex-vivo with 1,1'-dioctadecyl
-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) and then
infused IV. The flow of the fluorescent RBCs through 69 choroidal
vessels with diameters between 12 and 52 _m in six rats was recorded
on video tape, and the
Received 2 July 1996; accepted in final form 12 September 1996.
APS Manuscript Number H592-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 5 November 1996