抄録
Only humans and nonhuman primates share a central point of best visual acuity, the macula lutea, that is specifically susceptible to degenerations and toxicities. The mERG is a new non-invasive development enabling objective topographic evaluation of the visual function of the macula on repeated occasions. Animals were tested using a mERG equipment combined with a Scanning Laser Ophtalmoscope (SLO) (Roland Retiscan version 3.1; Rodenstock SLO) and were placed in a stereotaxic device (Crist Instruments, Hagerstown, MD, USA) under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia. 1% tropicamide and 1% atropine were used topically for mydriasis induction and 0.5% proparacaine for local corneal anaesthesia. A wire speculum for ocular aperture and a specially designed wide aperture monopolar platinum mERG electrode were used. Macula position was controlled by direct monitoring of eye position and mERG stimulus using the SLO video screen. First order P1 amplitude and latency data were recorded. These measures were taken from the mERG “ring” printout of 19 hexagonal fields with a central peak and surrounded by two concentric rings of successively lower amplitude. In conclusion, our data demonstrate good centration of the macula and proof of concept for the mERG as a first order toxicology testing procedure in the cynomolgus monkey.
