INTRARETINAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND THE PREVENTION OF HYPOXIA IN RETINAL ISCHEMIA [ 2000 - 2002 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Stephen Cringle (Principal investigator)

Brief description Adequate oxygen supply to the retina is critical for normal visual function. The oxygen is normally supplied by the blood flowing in the two circulations that support the retina. These are the choroidal circulation, lying behind the retina, and the retinal circulation, which supports the front half of the retina. The retinal circulation is particularly vulnerable to vascular disease and insufficient blood flow (ischemia). Vascular changes are involved in a wide range of retinal diseases which are currently responsible for the majority of new blindness in our community. The choroidal circulation is relatively robust, and offers a potential avenue for increasing oxygen delivery to the retina in the clinical management of ischemic retinal diseases. The feasibility of such an approach is strongly dependent on the oxygen requirements of the retina, and how this is influenced by retinal ischemia. We plan to find out how much oxygen is consumed by the many different layers within the retina under normal conditions and then determine how this changes under ischemic conditions. We will then see if we can supply enough oxygen from the choroid by a combination of raising the oxygen content of the blood, increasing choroidal blood flow, and reducing the amount of oxygen used by the outer half of the retina. Our experiments will be done in laboratory rats, but the same principles are readily transferable to humans if they prove to be beneficial in protecting the retina from ischemic damage. Our study will also quantify the relationship between oxygen levels in the blood stream, and those in the different layers of the retina. This information may prove valuable in the treatment and the prevention of other retinal diseases where the manipulation of the intraretinal oxygen environment is an exciting new avenue of research.

Funding Amount $AUD 164,444.55

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant