Development of experimental chronic intraocular hypertension in the rabbit.

There are many unanswered questions about chronic glaucoma which cannot be investigated in the available animal models. The present experiments were designed to develop a rabbit model of chronic intraocular hypertension with characteristics similar to human chronic glaucoma by ligating vortex veins or by making single or multiple intraocular injections of 0.5% or 1% alpha-chymotrypsin, 20% chondroitin sulphate, 2% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, 2% sodium carboxymethylcellulose or 1% or 2% methylcellulose. Evaluation was based on the clinical findings, intraocular pressure and the retrograde axoplasmic transport function of the optic nerve using a horseradish peroxidase histochemical technique. Most methods either failed to produce moderate chronic intraocular hypertension or were associated with other complications. However, a reliable and relatively long period (eight weeks) of intraocular hypertension was developed by a series of four intra-anterior chamber injections of 1% or 2% methylcellulose. This model has been proved suitable for the study of structural and functional damage to the retina and optic nerve caused by chronic glaucoma.